Ladybugs Across Time: Ancient Egypt
by SuperAnime4444
Summary: 5000 years ago, there was a normal girl with a normal life. But when the Akhenatens attacked, placing the people of Egypt in danger, she was chosen to become the very first ladybug on Earth. Can Ladybug and Chat Bast set aside their differences to save the day? Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir. The franchise belongs to the creators.
1. The Destined Girl

Prologue

 ** _Ohmmm … Ohmmm …_**

Echoes fill the dark halls of a hidden ritual chamber beneath the Temple of Ra pyramid. Inside stood a crowd of priests clothed in black standing in a circle around a golden altar. At the altar stood the tall, muscular leader. As he offered sweet incense to the statues of the Egyptian gods, he glances at the mystical ornaments sitting on the altar: the Scepter of Osiris, the Pendant of Ra, and the Mask of the Ancient Pharaohs.

A scout entered the chamber, approached the altar, and prostrated face down on the ground at the leader's feet.

Not taking his eyes off the altar, the man asked the scout, "Did you find the girl for the sacrifice?"

The scout promptly nodded.

"Good. Soon, all the pieces will be in place.

The scepter to open the gateway

100 mummies to bear witness.

A beautiful lady as an offering.

Then, I will have my one desire and will get back what belongs to me. The gods will not refuse," the man muttered to himself as he glanced at a scroll, also on the altar, displaying a portrait of the lovely Queen Nefertiti.

"Nobody will stop me!"

Chapter 1: The Destined Girl

On the flat roof of a simple mudbrick home, the warm morning sun massaged a young girl's back and shined in her dark straight hair as she was sewing a white travelling cloak. Her name was Abayomi. At first glance, she was a simple commoner born in a weaver family. But she had a remarkable talent for creating clothes. She could make beautiful dresses with decorative weaving patterns or simple but very functional clothes like the travelling cloak in her hand.

"Aba! Come on down for breakfast," her mother cried.

"Coming, mother!" Abayomi replied.

Finishing the last stitches on the cloak, she cut the thread and folded it to bring it down with her. Down the ladder she went to enter the main room of the house where the dining table stood.

 ** _Bump! Smack!_**

But as Abayomi stepped off the ladder and headed towards the table, her foot bumped into a protruding floor brick and her face planted firmly onto the floor. Abayomi's talent in clothes was evenly matched by her clumsiness.

"And the morning ritual continues," her mother chuckled as Abayomi got up and brushed the dirt off. Abayomi was fine. She was not going to let a silly fall keep her down.

Sitting at the table, Abayomi's excitement burst out. "Hehe! I'm sorry, mother. I just can't believe it is finally today. I have been waiting for this day forever."

On this fine, sunny day, she going to the family booth at the market and assist her father in selling their handcrafted fabrics and clothing. She was especially excited because, for the first time, she would be selling her own creations. For months, she crafted a variety of clothes from the traveling cloak to stylish dresses. And now that her set was complete, she would present them at the booth.

"Your father is already at the market to set up the place. Once you finish your breakfast, go over to him," her mother said.

 _ **Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!**_

Abayomi quickly ate like a hungry crocodile. Once her bowl was empty, she immediately got up from the table

 _ **ZOOM!**_

She dashed out the door greeting the world with a big and bright smile on her face.

"Don't forget the clothes that you wanted to sell," her mother casually said.

 _ **ZOOM!**_

She dashed back in the house, picked up the bundle of her creations, turned around, and dashed right back out the door wearing a big and embarrassed cringe on her face.

* * *

The marketplace was bustling with life as merchants from near and far came to sell their goods. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people crowded the area kicking up sand as they hopped from one booth to another and haggled for the best deals. There were even a few grunting camels carrying items trying to squeeze through the sea of people.

"How am I going to get to the booth with so many people around?" Abayomi wondered as she carried her clothes through the marketplace. The strong desert heat was beating against her tanned skin, and hot, gritty sand lodged between her toes. But she could not rush. She had to be careful. If she bumped into someone, she could drop her bundle. Or worse, a camel might accidentally step on her.

As she was trying to maneuver through the crowd, she can't help but notice a frail old man walking in the busy street. What caught her eye was the great difficulty the poor man had just to keep standing. Just one little bump from a passerby would be enough to … Uh! Oh!

Sure enough, a busy person bumped into the old man and, in the next instant, the old man was on the ground struggling to get up with his frail limbs. Unfortunately, as he was taking forever to get back on his feet, a tall, lumbering camel was headed towards him. It's hard hooves drew closer and closer.

"That poor man is going to be crushed," Abayomi said as she ran towards him. Quickly, she stood between the man and the camel. She was petite and small, but the large bundle of colorful clothes she was carrying made her more noticeable. Immediately, the camel stopped in its tracks.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, YOU STUPID GIRL!" the merchant on the camel screamed.

"Many apologies, kind sir!" Abayomi said as she bowed her head several times and then smiled hoping to calm down the angry rider. With a snort from both the camel and the merchant, the two maneuvered around Abayomi and the old man and continued on their way.

"Thank you for helping me, little one," said the man who finally got on his feet.

"I'm glad I can help," the shaken but cheerful girl said, "I have not seen you before. Did you travel from far away?"

"Oh, yes," the old man said, "Very far. Farther than you can imagine."

"Really? Where?" Abayomi said excitedly. She had an incurable curiosity, especially about far-away lands.

"Oh, I journeyed through many places. It is my lifestyle to never stay in one place for very long," the man replied.

"I would love to hear some tales of the places you visited," Abayomi said.

"I don't think you have time right now. Don't you have to be somewhere?" the wonderer said, dodging the girl's request. But he did make a good point.

"Oh, right! The booth!" Abayomi replied as she suddenly remembered her reason for coming to the market.

"You better hurry, then," the man pointed out.

But before the girl left, she decided to do one more thing for the old traveler.

"Here! Please have this," Abayomi said as she pulled out the white travelling cloak that she was working on, "This will protect you from the wind and the sun."

"Oh! But this is such a nice cloak," the surprised man replied, "I cannot -"

"Please, accept it," Abayomi insisted. She refused to be refused twice. "I wove it to be durable. It even comes along with a new feature: the pocket. It is like a pouch but it is sewn in the cloak. I even put it on my own robe. Now, I can easily carry small objects with me." She turned around to give the man a good view of the opening to her own pocket at her side.

The old man, knowing that Abayomi will not take "no" for an answer, accepted the gift cloak and smiled. Before the girl could turn and leave, the man made one request of his own.

"May I have one close look at that pocket of yours?" the man said.

Once again, Abayomi turned her side towards the man and held the pocket opening with her fingers. The old man poked one hand into the pocket briefly before pulling it out. Finally, after exchanging thanks, the two parted ways, and Abayomi was finally on her way to the booth.

Unknown to her, the old man slipped a special gift of his own in Abayomi's pocket.


	2. The Prince

Chapter 2: The Prince

This day could not get any prettier. The sky was bright and clear as the mighty sun sat high, shining its glorious light throughout all of Egypt. And at the center of the thriving capital, Memphis, the white marble palace of the royal family shined colored with its lovely ornaments of gems and gold.

But despite the fine weather and the beauty of the palace, a young Prince Tut, has been wallowing in an incurable sadness. His bright, blond hair and his handsome, youthful features were only ruined by a frown. If only the fanning servants could blow his misery away as they sent a cool breeze down the grooves of his tanned athletic body. Despite being strong, young, and healthy, he appeared to have no energy to do anything. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to endure as he listened to the royal chief scribe read the day's schedule. "Your hieroglyphics lesson is at mid-morning as usual. Afterwards, you will be in a procession through the market to bless the people with your presence. The procession will stop at the Nile Mansion for lunch with King Patra and his daughter, Cleo …"

 _Aaugh!_ Tut cringed at the mention of Princess Cleo, daughter of Patra. He is not in the mood for her chattering and annoying advances. The Patras were royals of the far away land, Nubia, and Tut was being arranged into a miserable royal marriage with Cleo. Though this probably would have been bearable if it was not for a bigger problem.

"Where's father?" Prince Tut asked.

"The great Pharaoh is tending to important business at the temple of Ra," the chief scribe replied, "He will be busy all day."

 _As usual_ , Tut thought. Ever since his mother, Queen Nefertiti, died, he has hardly seen his father. Father was always away tending to matters here and there, and rarely spent any time with his son. Right now, Tut would give anything to have a precious moment with his father.

"Let's go, my Prince, future rising sun of Egypt," the chief scribe said to signal the start of the first agenda on the schedule.

 _If only I had a genie to wish this day to be over_ , Prince Tut thought.

* * *

Back in the dark, echoing ritual chamber, the leader calls his priests to attention.

"The moment draws nigh. For years, we have been preparing for the ritual, and now we shall finally set our plan into motion," the leader shouted.

"We rejoice with you, Great One!" the followers replied in unison.

"First, we need to capture the girl, who shall be our offering. You know whom I have selected. Hear me! I offer you this great opportunity to have the honor of delivering her to me. Whom shall it be?" the leader called out.

Immediately, one enthusiastic priest steps forward. He was short and bony and had dark bags under his eyes. But what he lacked in strength, he makes up for in eagerness.

"Pick me, Great One! Pick me! I shall deliver her at your feet." the scrawny priest said in a high-pitched, scratchy voice.

"Do you understand the consequence if you fail?" the leader said.

"Oh! Well – yes, indeed, sir. Bu-bu-but, I assure you I will not fail," the priest said, "Just bestow upon me the power of the gods and I will be more than capable to fulfill this mission on your behalf."

"Indeed! With this power, no man can stand in your way," the leader said as he approached the groveling priest and held out the magical item for bestowing power: the Pendent of Ra.

"Sekhmet, lioness of war! Give my servant strength!" As soon as the incantations came out of the leader's mouth, the magical pendant glowed with a yellow light. Then, the scrawny, little man grew taller, and his bony body grew fat muscles. His face grew fur and his mouth grew fangs. What was once a weak man was now a mighty beast.

* * *

Back at the market, Abayomi was helping at the family booth. Her father was slightly upset that she was late, but they soon put that matter behind them and attended to the customers. As Abayomi was watching the counter, a familiar voice cut through the noise of the crowd.

"Abayomi! You won't believe! You won't believe it! You won't believe it!"

It was her friend, Akila, running down the street. Akila had a strong, inquisitive nature and was always looking for the latest news or word on the street. This time, it looked like the glasses-wearing girl had the news of the century.

"I won't believe what?" Abayomi replied.

"He is coming here today!" Akila shouted without even stopping to take a breath, "It is so incredible! I can't believe he is going to be here! In this market!"

"Who? Who is coming?" Abayomi asked as she struggled to keep up.

"I wonder if we will be able to see him. Oh, dear! The crowd might actually block our view!" Akila continued jabbering.

"Who? Slow down!" Abayomi said.

"Maybe we should climb on one of the trees. Oh! Then we can get a clear view of his face!" Akila chattered.

Desperately, Abayomi grabbed Akila by the shoulders.

"Breathe!" Abayomi said. Then, after Akila took a breath and stopped talking, Abayomi asked, "Who is coming today?"

"Prince Tut!" Akila replied.

This was big news indeed. It was such an honor to see the royal family and be graced by their presence. It was almost like a holiday. And the prince was so handsome. Abayomi still remembers the last time she saw him as he passed through the streets. His golden flowing hair, his smooth and tanned skin, his chiseled pecs …

"Earth to Aba!" Abayomi could faintly hear her friend's voice as she slowly snapped out of her daydream.

"Aba! We need to hurry to the main street. The prince will be passing by soon." Akila explained.

"Oh, right! I'm right behind you." Abayomi said.

And in a dash, the two girls ran off.

* * *

"HAIL! HAIL! PRINCE OF EGYPT! HAIL! HAIL! SON OF PHAROAH!"

Cheers filled the air as the prince sat in his sedan chair with four large bodyguards carrying the poles and a small battalion of soldiers surrounding him. Even though there was no festival, no music, and no entertainers, excitement was all around. People screamed and cheered. Many bowed before the honorable prince. And some waved hoping to get the royal son's attention.

 _Isn't he handsome?_ Abayomi thought as she watched the handsome prince pass by.

Abayomi was sitting in a tree near the side of main street with Akila. What a spectacle to behold! As she watched, she could not help but fall into dreamland where the prince looked at her, beckoned her to come over, and they sat together enjoying each other's company. Alas, she was a mere commoner, and he was royalty.

"If only dreams came true," Abayomi sighed.

"Who knows? It actually might," a squeaky voice said.

"Yeah … Wait! Huh?" Abayomi looked around her to see where the voice came from. "Akila, did you say something?" Abayomi asked. But Akila was on a higher branch and the crowd's cheers drowned out each other's voices. Abayomi looked around again, but she was alone on her own branch.

"My imagination must be playing tricks on me," Abayomi concluded.

"You do have a wonderful imagination."

There it was again. Except this time, Abayomi felt something brush against her leg.

SOMETHING WAS MOVING INSIDE HER POCKET! A SMALL CREATURE IS IN HER POCKET!

"AHHH!" the shocked Abayomi screamed as she wildly shook her leg.

 ** _SLIP!_**

She fell off her branch.

* * *

As the prince rode in the shade of his sedan chair, the prince sat upright with a dignified, regal pose and wore a bright smile that rivaled the sun. But on the inside, the prince was frowning. He was not in the mood for celebrating. He was not feeling any joy. This was not a festival. This was just another duty he had to perform to please the people and his absent father.

 _I just want this day to be over_ , Prince Tut thought.

After what seemed like an eternity, the prince finally left the marketplace and arrived at the mansion where the royal Patra family awaits.

But hidden from view, a beastly creature trailed the traveling group with an evil intent.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Why is Akila wearing glasses? I know that glasses didn't exist in Ancient Egypt but this is to be consistent with the Ladybug cartoon_


	3. Spots On!

Spots On!

 _'Aba ... Aba ...'_

Abayomi could barely make out the voice that was calling out to her as she slowly regained consciousness.

"Aba! Are you okay?" her deeply-concerned friend, Akila, said as Abayomi laid on the sandy ground beneath the tree.

"Just five more minutes, mama," Abayomi groggily replied.

After resting a bit, Abayomi eventually got back up. The prince already left the marketplace and everybody went back to their usual activities.

"What happened?" Akila asked, "I know you are a little clumsy, but you don't usually fall out of trees."

Abayomi recollected her memories. She remembered watching Prince Tut in the tree and enjoying a wonderful daydream. What happened next? Then, she remembered a mysterious, cute voice calling out to her. Was there a creature in her pocket? Abayomi opened her pocket and looked. Her eyes peered deeply till she could see the bottom of the pocket.

NOTHING!

There was no creature in there. Although, she did see a couple tiny objects that she never saw before. Abayomi reached into her pocket and pulled out ... a pair of round, black earrings.

* * *

"Tut-ty Wut-ty! Where have you been, my prince? I have been waiting in this drab house forever" Princess Cleo said as she ran up to Tut, hugged him, and started twirling his hair around her fingers.

 _'Aargh! I'd rather be swallowed by an alligator than see_ _her_ ' Prince Tut thought.

In the mansion, the poor prince was enduring the annoying princess as he met with the Nubian royals during lunch. The princess was lovely with fair, caramel skin and long black hair. But Tut was not in the mood to put up with her forceful intrusions on his personal space and her incessant chatting.

"When I become queen, will I really have to wear that ugly black wig? I am fine with the mascara, but that wig clashes with my beautiful face. Oh! And I have several pets that I want to bring with me into the palace. Don't worry they won't ALL be inside the palace. Just my lion, crane, dog, zebra, 5 little monkeys ... no, sorry, 4 little monkeys. They love to jump on the bed, and one fell off and bumped its head. My personal elephant can stay in the garden. ...," Princess Cleo went on and on.

Prince Tut's ears were about to explode when -

 ** _BOOM!_**

One of the walls of the dining room broke apart, and a huge beast-like man charged through the flying dust and stone.

* * *

As this was happening, Abayomi was walking through an alley heading back to the family booth. She already said goodbye to Akila and the two parted ways. _'Did I dream all that?'_ Abayomi thought as she tried to piece together what happened before she fell from the tree. She was about to dismiss it as her imagination when suddenly a little red creature appeared out of nowhere.

"Abayomi! Abayomi!" the creature cried out.

Startled, Abayomi screamed, "Ahh! A red bug!"

"Hehe! I'm not a bug. I'm Tikki, a fairy," the creature said in an assuring manner.

"A fairy?" Abayomi said.

"A kwami to be exact," Tikki said, "I'm sorry for rushing here, but there is not much time to explain. I just sensed an Akhenaten is attacking. Someone could be in danger. You need to stop it."

"What's an Akhenaten?" Abayomi asked.

"A person who was turned into a monster through dark magic," the kwami explained.

Still trying to figure out what is going on, the girl said, "But what can I do? I'm just a little girl. And a clumsy one too."

"But you have many good qualities, and you are the chosen one," Tikki replied.

" But -"

Before Abayomi could complete her sentence, the little red kwami put her hands on her lips.

"Shhh. Trust me. I know you can do it. Just remember these 3 things

1\. You need to purify the Akhenaten of the evil magic

2\. Use the special power, Lucky Charm, to create the item that you need. But you can only do it once because your powers will drain after you use it.

3\. Don't reveal your identity. It is safer when people do not know who is under the mask." Tikki explained.

Stunned and confused, Abayomi was trying to taking everything. After she regained some of her composure, she asked, "So, what should I do?"

Tikki replied, "Just say the magic words to transform."

"Moon Prism Power?" Abayomi guessed.

Tikki giggled, "Hehe. Where did that come from? It's 'Tikki, Spots On!'"

" 'Tikki, spots on'?" the confused girl said.

Suddenly, there was a red glow.

* * *

Back at the mansion, Prince Tut and company were staring at their beastly attacker.

"Eek!" Princess Cleo cried, "Now there is dirt in my hair."

"There, there, my dear!" her father, King Patra, said. Turning to the intruder, the furious king shouted, "YOU! BEAST! HOW DARE YOU -"

 ** _ROAR!_**

The cat-like Akhenaten released a mighty roar that shook the entire building.

" umm ... N-n-nice kitty!" King Patra stuttered.

Unshaken, the brave Prince Tut shouted, "Why are you attacking us? Who are you?"

The mighty Akhenaten replied, "I am War Cat! Through the power of Sekhmet, I have the strength of ten thousand men. I have come to capture my target ... Princess Cleo. Oppose me, and you will feel the full force of my fury!"

King Patra pushed Cleo towards War Cat and said, "Here, take her!"

"PAPA!" Cleo cried.

"KING PATRA!" the prince said. Unshaken, the prince thought fast and threw a pitcher of wine onto the beast's face temporarily blinding it. As War Cat was busy wiping the stinging wine out of its eyes, the prince grabbed his two guests and ran to the front door.

Quickly, the Egyptian soldiers surrounded War Cat with their spears pointed at it. Unfortunately, the Akhenaten, no longer blinded by wine, released another roar.

 ** _ROAR!_**

It had such a tremendous force that it blew all the men away like they were dust in the wind. Realizing that the royals left the building through the front door, War Cat leaped two stories high. It smashed through the ceiling and landed on the front yard with a mighty crash right in front of the royals.

"Eeeek!" Princess Cleo screamed as she took this opportunity to jump into Prince Tut's arms forcing him to carry her bridal-style.

With their escape route cut off, and with his hands busy holding the annoying princess, Prince Tut was out of ideas on how to handle this beast.

Suddenly, a new voice filled the air.

"Never fear! Your friendly neighborhood Ladybug is here."

Then, a masked girl dressed in a red polka-dotted dress arrived swinging high in the sky on a string. With a zip, she retracted her yo-yo, flipped, and landed a stone throw away to the side of War Cat. Prince Tut looked at this new arrival. This red-dressed girl had gold bracelets that covered her forearms. The tips of her shoulder-length hair were decorated with gold beads. And though she was wearing a mask, her face was radiating an adorable beauty. Most of all, her posture, her voice, and her actions exuded confidence, courage, and cheer.

War Cat turned to this red interloper ready to pounce on her. Unafraid, Ladybug took out her yo-yo and rocked it from side to side.

"Aren't you a sweet kitty? Who wants the toy? Who wants the toy? Yes, you do," Ladybug said using baby talk.

Insulted, War Cat shouted, "You dare to think that I am a mere house cat? I'll squash you like a bug."

"I don't know how you can squash me if you're like a little bug," Ladybug jokingly said.

Frustrated at the girl's taunts, the large beast charged at her. He swung his mighty fist at her. But Ladybug flipped over the him and out of harm's way. He turned around and swiped his claws at her, but the nimble heroine continued to dodge all of his attacks. Frustrated, War Cat summoned all of his incredible strength and slammed his fists into the ground.

"War Cat Smash!" he said as he caused the ground around him to quake shaking Ladybug, Prince Tut, and the Patra family.

"W-w-woah! Enough with the corny catchphrases," Ladybug responded. Then, she noticed something else: the ground underneath them was cracking. A giant fissure was opening up threatening to swallow her and the people she came to rescue. With no moment to hesitate, Ladybug ran over to the prince and his company, told them to grab onto her, and threw her yo-yo to some tall structure.

 ** _Swoosh!_**

Ladybug and the three royals swung into the air, and they landed on a safer, stable ground farther away from War Cat.

"Stay here where it's safe," Ladybug said.

"What do you plan to do?" Prince Tut asked.

"Wrap things up," Ladybug replied.

The mighty Akhenaten charged at her and Ladybug ran directly towards him. War Cat swung his claws at her again, but she slid between his legs and quickly got behind him.

 ** _Zip!_**

The quick heroine flung her yo-yo and wrapped the beast around his chest restricting his arms. It seemed like the fight was under wraps. Unfortunately, the Akhenaten was not about to surrender. With its massive strength, War Cat spun around and around, swinging Ladybug in the air. Then, the yo-yo got loose, and War Cat was free while Ladybug flew in the air and landed with her face in the sand. Apparently this fight would not be as easy as she thought.

But Ladybug did not have much time to rest. Quickly, a large shadow was on her. Ladybug looked up to the sky and saw War Cat coming down from a huge jump threatening to squash her. She somersaulted and barely avoided becoming a ladybug pancake. The villain continued to punch and swipe all over the place with Ladybug flipping and dodging.

"ENOUGH!" War Cat cried, "Time to end this." Then, he lifted his paw-like hand to show a white ring with a paw symbol on it. Ladybug was not sure what it was or what it did, but it clearly must have powerful magic.

Confident that the fight was his, War Cat shouted, "By the power of plagues, I cast destruction on you."

... Nothing happened.

 ** _*Blink* *Blink*_** War Cat looked at the ring. What was the problem? Was it because he was only holding the ring between his fingers instead of wearing it? But his paw's digits were too big for the ring. War Cat decided to try again.

"Ring of Plagues, I command you!" War Cat cried.

Still, nothing happened.

"Go! Destroy my foes! … Uh … please?" War Cat continued to try different phrases to activate the ring.

"One ring to plague them all! One ring to smite them."

"Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Heart!"

"In blackest day, in brightest night, … cantaloupe … watermelon … yadda yadda … something … something …"

 ** _Zip!_**

Refusing to wait any longer, Ladybug threw her yo-yo at War Cat and knocked the ring out of his fat fingers. But War Cat still had some tricks up his sleeves.

 ** _ROAR!_**

Again, War Cat gave a huge roar. The force blew Ladybug back and she was on the ground again.

' _Think! There must be some way to stop him_ ,' Ladybug thought. Then, she remembered what Tikki said: Use the special power, Lucky Charm, to create the item that you need.

"LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug cried as she tossed her yo-yo into the air.

The yo-yo shined brightly and created ... a large bronze pot.

"What do I do with this?" Ladybug wondered. Then, she looked at War Cat. Her Ladybug senses highlighted his mouth and then his ears. She got it! She knew what to do.

"Hey, kitty! Is that really the best you can do? I can scream much better than that. Aaaaaaaaaah!" Ladybug taunted and even gave a high pitched scream.

"Maybe you need your ears checked," the prideful War Cat responded, "Here! Have another taste."

War Cat took a deep breath. But before he roared, Ladybug quickly ran to him, flipped over War Cat, and popped the pot on his head.

As War Cat roared, the sound echoed inside the pot and his powerful soundwaves bounced right into his ears, effectively stunning him. With her foe incapacitated, Ladybug took this opportunity to purify him from the evil magic. She activated her yo-yo.

"No more evil doing for you, Akhenaten.

 **TIME TO DE-EVILIZE!"**

With a spin and a swing, Ladybug threw her shining yo-yo at War Cat and it enveloped him with white magic. Soon, the huge beast changed back into a scrawny, old man.

The battle was over. But there was one more thing she had to do.

" **MIRACULOUS LADYBUG**!" she shouted as she tossed the bronze pot up. The pot morphed into a stream of magic that flew around the mansion. Everything was fixed up and tidied, like there was never a fight here.

With her work all finished, Ladybug heard a beep from her earrings. The timer has started. She needed to get away before her power was completely gone and her identity was revealed.

 ** _Zip!_**

Ladybug lassoed some tall structure and swung away before Prince Tut or anyone else could speak with her.

"Who was that mysterious hero?" Princess Cleo asked.

"I don't know," Prince Tut replied. Then, Tut looked down near the scrawny, unconscious man. On the ground was the ring that War Cat tried to used. Curious, Tut picked up the ring and looked at the paw symbol. What was this exactly?


	4. The Black Kwami

The Black Cat

The majestic sun slowly setted over the sandy horizon signaling the end of the day. What an eventful day it has been. People all over Egypt have been talking about the cat-like Akhenaten, War Cat, who attacked the royals at the Nile Mansion. And some people were wondering about the masked red heroine who swung by and stopped that beast from capturing Princess Cleo. After the attack at the mansion, the depowered perpetrator was arrested and thrown into a dark, damp jail cell. There, the scrawny, old man -

"I have a name you know, Mr. Narrator. It's Musa."

There, Musa sat contemplating on his failure. How could a little girl best him when he was the super strong War Cat? Then, he heard the footsteps of someone he was dreading to see. Someone he was expecting. Someone he had to answer to ... Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Tutankhamun: "Curse you, narrator! Why did you reveal who the leader was?"

Like it was actually a secret. Anybody who watched the tv show knew who was in charge of the ritual.

"Forgive me, Oh Great One!" Musa begged, "I can explain."

The pharaoh interjected, "Didn't I give you power you have never seen before?"

"W-well, y-yes. You did, s-si-" Musa replied.

"Weren't you able to overwhelm any army and even move mountains?" Tutankhamun continued.

"B-but" Musa tried to explain.

"And didn't I tell you the consequence if you failed," Pharaoh Tutankhamun finished.

"Oh No!" Musa begged, "No! Please, sir!"

"You shall be sent ... to the stables and work there from now on as a lowly stable hand," the leader declared.

"NO! NOT A LOWLY STABLE HAND!" Musa, the ex-priest, cried, "I'll smell like filthy dung for the rest of my life. Can't I be buried alive in the pyramids?"

To the last request, the pharaoh sternly replied, "No."

Musa continued, "Please give me another chance. That Ladybug just caught me by surprise. But she will not best me next time."

"I already have a plan to destroy this Ladybug," Tutankhamun said, "You are of no use to me."

"WAIT!" Musa cried, "I- I can fetch the Ring of Plagues for you. It's power can be useful. I can find it for you."

The leader paused and thought for a moment. "This ring," the stoic man said, "How did it come in your possession?"

Realizing the trouble he was in, Musa scrambled to explain, "W-well, I am the priest who tended to the spirit of plagues. I knew of its power to destroy. So, I took it from the temple of Ra. IT WAS TO AID IN THE MISSION, I SWEAR! I KNOW THAT IT'S DESTRUCTIVE POWER CAN HELP! Let me find it. Then, I'll research on how to activate the spirit of plagues ... so that you can use it."

But the unimpressed pharaoh replied, "You must have me confused for another villain. Perhaps someone who is obsessed with butterflies. I am not interested in the ring. I already have the power I need."

Ending on that sentence, he turned and left, leaving behind a weeping Musa.

* * *

Back at the palace, Prince Tut sat in his bedroom pondering on the day. Part of him was amazed at the day's surprising attack. It was certainly a nice break from the royal business routine with clingy Princess Cleo. Nothing like an Akhenaten attack to add some excitement to one's day. But still, he was depressed. This huge event of a large Akhenaten attacking the prince and the royal guests was the talk all over Egypt. The precious son of Pharaoh could have been killed or seriously hurt if it wasn't for Ladybug intervening. Yet, his own father, the Pharaoh, hardly reacted. He only asked stoically if Tut was okay. Then, he went off to continue his business without showing any emotion towards his own son. He did not ask why the Akhenaten attacked or command his soldiers to tighten security. Tut would have welcomed the Pharaoh restraining Tut to his room for his own protection. Does his father even care about him? Or does he merely see his son as another agenda on the daily royal schedule? _'Well, if he does not care about me, then I see no reason to care about him,'_ Prince Tut thought.

Then, another dreadful feeling flooded him. Loneliness. He lost his mother. His father was practically absent. And he did not have any friends. Certainly, he was surrounded by servants, but they merely worked for him. They did not count as friends, do they? What exactly are friends? What do they do?

 _'I bet Ladybug has many friends,_ ' Tut thought. Right now, he envied her. Ever since she appeared in front of him, she had lingered in his mind. But it was not her beauty that impressed him. It was her cheery attitude. She looked so happy. Even when she was under attack, she did not seem weighed down by fears or worries. Where did this happiness come from? Oh, how he wished that he had whatever that was. If only he could swing above the rooftops and go wherever he wanted. Maybe that was why she was happy. Freedom. It was ironic. He was royalty, not a lowly slave. Yet, he felt imprisoned. Trapped by the rules, rituals, routines, and expectations that were placed upon him since birth.

Burdened by this depressing thought, Tut mumbled, "This stinks like cheese."

"Did someone say cheese?"

"WHO SAID THAT!" the surprised prince cried.

* * *

Meanwhile, Abayomi sat in her room taking in what happened today. It was so amazing that it felt like it was a dream. In one moment, she was a normal, ordinary girl. Then, in the next moment, she felt like a totally different person. When Tikki entered the miraculous earrings, not only did her clothes transform, but something else changed. She felt stronger, more agile, and courageous.

"You even called me 'Ladybug' instead of 'Abayomi' throughout the entire battle, Mr. Narrator," Abayomi said.

Please stop talking to the narrator. Everybody, pretend I am not here.

"That was so amazing, Tikki," Abayomi said to her kwami.

"You were amazing, Abayomi," Tikki replied.

"But when I morphed into Ladybug, I was able to do many things I could never actually do," the girl continued, "Without you, Tikki, I'm just a regular clumsy girl."

The red kwami hovered closely to her face and placed one hand on Abayomi's cheek. "Remember, the most important power did not come with the suit, but instead, it lies in your heart," Tikki said.

Then, there was a knock on the bedroom door. "Abayomi! Are you there?" Akila said standing outside the room. Quickly, Tikki hid in Abayomi's pocket as the girl got up and opened the door to welcome her friend in. As Akila stepped inside, her voice immediately went to work, "Did you hear about Ladybug? Wasn't it amazing how she appeared out of nowhere and fought that big cat monster?"

"Akhenaten," Abayomi corrected.

"Huh?" Akila responded.

"Uh … I heard from someone that it was called an Akhenaten," Abayomi replied.

Letting the weak excuse go, Akila continued, "Some people say that she is a goddess. Others say that she was a normal goofy girl until she was bitten by a ladybug and got spectacular Ladybug powers."

To the latter, Abayomi reacted, "Hahaha! Somebody certainly has a wild imagination."

"I wonder who she really is," Akila said, "Amazing that a small mask that only covers half of your face can hide your identity."

"Well, it is a better disguise than glasses," Abayomi said as she tapped Akila's own spectacles.

* * *

As the girls were conversing about the miraculous Ladybug, Prince Tut was shell-shocked at the sudden appearance of a floating, black, magical creature. "What are you? A Mouse?" Tut cried. Offended by this naive human, the creature replied, "How rude! I'm a cat kwami." Confused, Tut said, "Kwami? Wait! A cat? But you like cheese."

"Mice don't really like cheese. That's a misunderstanding," the black kwami explained, "Actually, young kittens like cheese. They just become lactose intolerant when they mature. But not me. I love it. The more stinky, the better."

"So, what are you? Are you a geni-" Tut began to ask.

"Stop! It is proper manners to introduce yourself first," the cat kwami said.

Not wishing to offend the spirit, Tut said, "I- I am Tut, prince of Egypt."

"I guess I'll accept that introduction. But you should end the sentence with something like 'Oh! Great Kwami!'," the kwami sighed, "I am Plagg, the cat kwami of destruction. This is the part where you kneel in reverence, human." Immediately, the prince bowed. Even royalty have to follow rituals and be careful not to offend the spirits. "Very good, human," Plagg said as he petted the boy's head, "Now, what is your request?"

A request? This caught the prince's attention. But what can he ask from this being of destruction? He does not desire to destroy anything. "What can you do?" Tut asked. Plagg replied, "Well, I can eat a mountain of cheese in a day. But my job is to give the wearer of my miraculous special powers."

"Miraculous?" the prince asked. Plagg explained, "The miraculous is the magic item that a kwami is bound to. Mine is that ring in your hand. It allows me to connect with the wearer and give them magic powers." A realization entered Tut's mind. Ladybug must be powered by another kwami. That was why she could do those incredible things.

Wishing to know more, the prince inquired, "So, what kind of powers will you grant me?"

"Along with strength and cat-like agility, I can give you the power to destroy any object through the spell Cataclysm. But use it wisely. You can only use it once. And when you do, my powers will run out and you will need to give me cheese if you want to transform again."

The prince did not want to destroy things. But this is his chance to be like Ladybug. To be move about freely. To do what he wishes to do. To be unrestrained by his royal life. This was a miracle! "Oh! Great Plagg!" the prince bowed and said, "I wish for you to give me the power you spoke of."

"Uh! Alright. If you wish," Plagg said, "But first, fetch me some cheese, human."

* * *

As night fell on the land of Egypt, the temple of Ra was quiet, except inside the hidden chamber. There, Pharaoh Tutankhamun stood at the altar. Kneeling before him was another man. This man was tall and muscular, but the whip scars on his back revealed that he was not a royal soldier. "Keyon, slave of Nubia, do you pledge your loyalty to me," the pharaoh asked. The buff man silently nodded. "Do you wish to be free by fulfilling this job?" Tutankhamun continued. Again, the man nodded. "I should not have to explain the objective to you," Tutankhamun said, "After all, you were the one who suggested the offering should be Princess Cleo, daughter of your master, King Patra." Keyon continued to be silent and remained kneeling before the pharaoh of Egypt.

Tutankhamun warned Keyon, "Bear in mind. This job is not as simple as we originally thought. We could not simply kidnap the princess using an Akhenaten and pretend that it was the doing of a mysterious, evil force to avoid war. Now, there is an annoying bug that is in our way. This mission will take more than brute strength. It require special abilities to beat this Ladybug. If I give this power to you, will you use it wisely to fulfill your mission?"

Finally, Keyon spoke, "I will not fail you, great Pharaoh!"

To that, Pharaoh Tutankhamun replied, "I will hold you to your word." Then, he raised the pendant of Ra and commanded, "BY THE POWER OF HORUS! GIVE MY MINION WINGS!"

* * *

Soon, the bright moon and the stars lit up the sky. Akila was walking on the streets to return to her house, and Abayomi decided to accompany her friend and enjoy the refreshing, cool night air. "I hope we can see Ladybug ourselves," Akila said, still excited by the appearance of this superhero. Abayomi cringed but she managed to bring out a smile. On one hand, she wanted to make her friend happy and show her Ladybug. But at the same time, she knew that she could not reveal her secret. _'I cannot keep talking about Ladybug for much longer,'_ Abayomi thought to herself, _'I need to change the subject.'_ As if on cue, a little cat ran out of a nearby alley and in front of the two girls. "Aww!" Abayomi cried on impulse, "A cat has blessed us with its presence."

Suddenly, the girls heard a pot shatter. Almost immediately, a masked man ran out of the same alley that the cat ran from. Judging from the shemagh wrapped around his face and the big bag of loot, he appeared to be a thief. He seemed to be running from someone as he quickly looked back down the alley he came from. Could he be running from the patrolling soldiers?

The thief was about to run down another street when a whoosh sound filled the air. A staff flew from the dark alley and knocked the man onto the ground. It ricocheted off the man and into the hands of a new stranger. Laying on the sand, the thief whimpered, "Wh-Who are you?"  
Out of the shadows, a young, blond man wearing a black mask and cat ears emerged and said,

"I am the black cat that crosses your path.

I am the nail that scratches the chalkboard of crime.

 **I am CHAT BAST!** "

 _Disclaimer: This story does not justify slavery of any person. Slavery is wrong. The writer of this story does not intend to deny anybody their right to freedom nor to discredit slaves._


	5. The Dynamic Duo

The Dynamic Duo

Hmmm. This fanfiction is not so popular. I need try something to get people's attention.

 _*Play music*_

(following the Adam West's Batman theme)

Nya-Nya, nya-nya, nya-nya, nya-nya

Nya-Nya, nya-nya, nya-nya, nya-nya

Chat Bast!

 _*End of music*_

 _Author's Note: I tried to insert music note symbols but FanFiction's document editor will not let me. This is so frustrating!_

* * *

" **HOLY CORNY OUTBURST!** Another superhero!" Akila cried.

In the dark street, the thief laid on the ground as he and the two girls looked at the man who called himself Chat Bast. Twirling a hooked staff, he wore a black shendyt (which was the skirt that Egyptian men wore) around his waist strapped by a black belt that acted as his tail. He also wore a black ornamented Wesekh collar that sat above his chiseled pecs. In contrast to his exposed, muscular upper body, his face and his identity was hidden by a black mask.

"Chat BLAST?" a confused Abayomi called out. Chat replied to the mistaken girl, "No. It's Chat Bast. Bast as in Bastet, the cat goddess." "Oh," Abayomi, Akila, and the thief said in unison. Glad that the confusion was cleared up, Chat said, "Yes. Now, _BAST_ in my _claw_ -esomeness." * _Cringe_ * Abayomi did not know which was worse: his attitude or his puns.

Desperate to escape this vigilante, the thief scrambled to get on his feet. However, he barely got up when the cat-themed superhero nimbly pounced onto the thief's back, pushing him back onto the ground. "Sorry. But I'll always come on top," Chat Bast said. The trapped thief said to his captor standing on top of him, "Why are you doing this? You're not a soldier." "Nothing _Purr_ -sonal. This is just what I do," Chat replied, "Just as a cat protects her children, this city is under my _purr_ -tection. You won't hurt anyone any _meow_ -re. Not even those damsels in distress."

"Meow-re?" the confused thief said. Clarifying himself, Chat Bast said, "That's 'more' mixed with 'meow'."

 _'Damsels in distress?!'_ the annoyed Abayomi thought, _'But we weren't being attacked.'_

" **HOLY CATS!** " Akila cried out, "Chat Bast, do you work with Ladybug?" Then, Chat Bast sneered, "Ladybug? I'm way too _paw_ -some to team up with her. I'm a lone ca – ACHOO!" The cat hero's cool moment was wrecked by the cool night air. This was not the time to walk the streets without a shirt. Abayomi was annoyed by this cat's attitude. She really wanted to go home and get away from him and his puns. But there was one thing she needed to do first. Her parents taught her to be kind to strangers and share her possessions. After all, what she owned were blessings from above. So, she took off her coat and held it up for Chat Bast to take. For a moment, the cat hero stood there confused. Sure, people gave him things before. But they were offerings of gold, jewels, or valuables given by nobles seeking favor or by peasants as a way to express their admiration or to avoid trouble. This one felt different. Tut could not figure out what was different. Was it because the coat was ugly?

"That's okay. I don't nee – ACHOO!" Chat Noir sneezed, "Well, maybe just for tonight." Then, Chat finally conceded and wore Abayomi's coat. It was worn and ugly, but it was so warm and was a relief from the cold night air. "Excuse me!" the forgotten thief said, "Can you get off my back, now?"

* * *

(Spinning Batman Transition)

Next day!

Abayomi was sitting in her room contemplating on what happened last night.

"So, there are other kwamies and other superheroes out there?" the girl asked her tiny red companion. Tikki replied, "There are definitely other kwamis out there. In fact there are seven in total including me and the cat kwami. But I don't know if they chose a person to be a superhero. I was surprised when we met Chat Bast." At the mention of Chat Bast, Abayomi said, "At least Egypt has somebody else to take care of her." She was not going to stop being Ladybug. But she was relieved that the superhero job was not all on her now. Still, Tikki felt it was important to remind her holder, "Remember, you are the only one who can dispel evil magic and change those Akhenatens back into people."

* * *

(Spinning Batman Transition)

Meanwhile, the people of Egypt were busy in the marketplace when suddenly a large shadowy figure appeared in the sky. Some people looked up wondering what was the creature hovering in front of the sun.

"It's a bird!" one person said.

"It's a plane!" another one said.

 _*Screech*_ Wait a minute! Planes didn't exist in Ancient Egypt. Need to fix that.

(Take 2)

"It's a bird!" one person said.

"It's a man!" another one said.

"It's FALCON EYE!" the strange creature introduced itself. As it slowly descended, people got a better view of the new Akhenaten. Like the Egyptian god Horus, it had the head of a falcon and the body of a large, muscular man with large falcon wings protruding from his back.

" **HOLY ANNOYING CRIES!** Another Akhenaten! **"** said Akila, who happened to be at the market at the time, "Quick! Send the Ladybug signal!"

 _*Crickets chirping*_ Umm. There is no Ladybug signal. We don't have the budget for that.

Akila: "Nevermind."

"Don't worry," Falcon eye said, "I know how to get Ladybug's attention." And the villain swooped down tearing up booths and causing havoc as the people screamed in fright.

* * *

(Spinning Batman Transition)

Back at Abayomi's room.

Abayomi heard the screams from the market, and she looked out the window to see the winged Akhenaten flying in and out of the marketplace. "Looks like trouble," Abayomi said, "TIKKI, SPOTS ON!"

* * *

(Spinning Batman Transition)

Meanwhile, at the palace.

Plagg suddenly woke up from its nap and felt a tingle. Knowing what that tingle meant, it flew over to Prince Tut who was busy at his writing table. "Human! Human!" the cat kwami cried, "Trouble is stirring, if you were interested." Well, the prince was certainly interested. This was a great chance to get away from homework. Quickly, Tut pulled a lever and a wall in his room slid opened to reveal a hidden chamber.

Then, the young prince said with a heroic voice, "Plagg, to the Cat Cave!"

"Um, no!" the embarrassed Plagg said.

* * *

(Spinning Batman Transition)

Back at the marketplace!

The dreadful Falcon Eye has been terrorizing the streets and shops. Food, pottery, and all manners of merchandise were scattered all over the place. And some stores were even set on fire. It has been absolute chaos and people were running all over the place. "Will anybody save us?" Akila cried.

 _Swing!_ Right on cue, Ladybug arrived swinging on her yo-yo.

"Never fear! Friendly neighborhood Ladybug, dropping by!" our fearless, red heroine said.

" **HOLY RED SPANDEX!** Ladybug is here," the glasses-wearing fangirl screamed.

"Ladybug!" Falcon Eye cried, "Today! You shall meet your doom!"

Undeterred, Ladybug shrugged and said, "Don't you evil-doers get tired of saying that?"

Then, the winged Akhenaten dived down towards Ladybug with a mighty Swoosh! Our brave lady side-flipped out of the way. But when she followed through with a kick, Falcon Eye already flew away.

"Haha!" the flying villain taunted, "You'll never be able to catch me!"

Wishing to challenge that statement, Ladybug took out her magical yo-yo. She winds up for the pitch.

 ** _ZIP!_**

She threw her yo-yo at Falcon Eye with all her strength!

 ** _MISSED!_**

Falcon Eye proved trickier to catch than a cold. Now, it is the bird-man's turn to attack. Falcon Eye flapped his wings and stirred up a whirlwind that lifted Ladybug off the ground. Thinking fast, Ladybug threw her yo-yo to lasso onto something. However, the yo-yo did not grab a building or the ground. By great luck, she grabbed Falcon Eye. She even managed to wrap up the villain's body restricting his arms and his wings, which stopped the whirlwind.

However, the villain was not finished. "Did you actually think this was enough to stop me?" Falcon Eye asked. Then, his right eye started to burn brightly. After a few seconds of charging, the fiendish bird shot a bright, flaming beam out of his eye. This attack caught Ladybug by surprise, and she did not have enough time to dodge. Could this be the end of our beloved heroine?

Ladybug flinched and closed her eye, bracing for the worst. Then, she heard a clang. When she opened her eyes, she saw Chat Bast standing in front of her blocking the firebeam with his staff.

" _Fur_ -give the intrusion, little lady," the feline hero said, "But I'll take it from here."

" **HOLY FURBALLS!** Chat Bast is here" the silly Akila shouted, "I hope I'm getting paid for this."

 _*Cough* *Cough*_ Then, Chat Bast shouted to the Falcon Eye, "Your talons of terror are no match to my claws of justice."

With that sentence, he took a mighty leap towards the feathery foe aiming to strike him with his staff. Unfortunately, the Falcon Eye flew up higher out of Chat Bast's striking range. And you, readers, are wondering, 'Weren't his wings tied up at this time?' Well, my dear audience, Falcon Eye's flying abilities were through magic, not really through his wings. And apparently, his flying magic was very strong because he lifted up Ladybug, who was dangling on him by the string of her yo-yo. Then, Falcon Eye turned and swung Ladybug towards Chat Bast.

 ** _BAM!_**

The two heroes collided into each other and fell down.

" **HOLY UNNECESSARY COMMENTS!** Our heroes look like they're in trouble," Akila, _who does not want a paycheck_ , noted, "What did you just say, Narrator?"

As they laid in a pile on the ground and recovering from the collision, Ladybug noticed that her yo-yo was loose and Falcon Eye was free.

"Quick, Chat!" Ladybug said, "We have to catch that bird."

"Do you mind getting off me?" Chat replied, "You need to lose a few pounds."

"HEY!" Ladybug reacted.

* * *

(Spinning Batman Transition)

Meanwhile!

Back in the Egyptian palace, a certain Nubian princess was wandering the hallways. "Tutty-Wutty! Tutty-Wutty! Where are you?" Princess Cleo cried as she searched high and low and every corner for her cute prince. "Come out. Come out, wherever you are," she continued, "Wouldn't you rather spend time with the girl of your dreams than play hide-n-seek?"

As she turned the corner to enter another huge hallway, she bumped into a middle-aged man.

"Oh! Lowly servant, now is not the time to be lazy and standing around. If you, dog, have time to goof off, search for Prince Tut for your precious princess and future queen," Cleo said.

But what the airheaded princess failed to notice was that this man was not a servant. He was wearing the ornamented white robes of a priest. And not just any priest. He was the Chief Priest.

Fortunately, he overlooked the princess's offensive manner and asked, "So, Prince Tut is not in his room?"

Princess Cleo snapped, "Of course not, bug! I already looked there. Now, get going before I have you whipped!"

"Yes, princess," the priest politely replied.

As he walked off, he looked at an empty scale that he was holding and noticed that it was tipped down.

* * *

(Spinning Batman Transition)

Back at the marketplace!

Ladybug and Chat Noir have been dodging Falcon Eye's swoops and firebeams, but they could not land a blow on this troublesome terror. Every time the dynamic duo tried to strike him, he just flew away.

"This foe is very in- _fur_ -iating," Chat Bast said.

The annoyed Ladybug replied, "Now is not the time for puns."

But she had to admit that catching a bird that kept flying away was frustrating. How did she catch him last time? When she was blown by the whirlwind, she was not even aiming at Falcon Eye. She was tumbling in the air and could not see where she was throwing. She just got lucky ... Wait! Was that it? Luck?

At this point, Ladybug was willing to try anything. So, she closed her eyes and just threw her yo-yo blindly. The yo-yo bounced off one building. Then, it ricocheted off another building. Then another building. Then another building. Then it bounced off a tree. Falcon Eye was watching where the yo-yo was going. He did not even have to move to avoid it. But before he realized it, the yo-yo bounced around him and its string surrounded him. Without even thinking, Ladybug pulled the string and it came closing in on Falcon Eye. The elusive enemy tried to fly up to avoid capture, but the string managed to wrap and ensnare his feet. It worked!

" **HOLY EMBARRASSING LINES!** Ladybug managed to catch him," Akila said.

"Quick, Chat!" the polka-dotted girl said, "Help me pull him down and secure -" But before she could finish the sentence, Chat Bast was climbing up the string heading towards the bird. He jumped up and tried to strike Falcon Eye with his staff. The nimble bird was still elusive as he swooped to the side to avoid the cat. But Chat Bast had a surprise of his own. He pointed one end of the staff at Falcon, and suddenly, the stick elongated.

 ** _CONK!_**

Catching the Akhenaten by surprise, the end of the staff struck him in the face, and the bird finally came falling down.

" **HOLY HEADACHES!** How many more outbursts do I have to make?" Akila said.

Proud of himself, Chat made a clever remark, "Looks like Falcon got the short end of the stick." * _Boooo_ *

"I told you to help me pull him down," Ladybug said, "Why don't you listen to me?"

"Hey! I had things under control," Chat Bast retaliated.

"You were hitting nothing but air before I managed to catch him," the angry bug cried.

"And you never even landed one punch on him," the annoyed cat replied.

"But if we are going to make this partnership work, we have to listen to each other," Ladybug argued.

"Woah! Woah! Woah! This cat works alone," Chat Basted argued back.

"Ugh! You only think about yourself!" the red-faced girl shouted.

"Nag! Nag! Nag! All you do is nag," Chat said.

As their quarrel continued, Falcon Eye got back up. Once again, he was free from Ladybug's yo-yo. Not wasting this opportunity, he charged up his eye to shoot. Except this time, it was his left eye. As soon as the squabbling duo noticed it, Falcon's eye fired a beam at them. Chat's cat-like reflexes saved him. But Ladybug was too slow and got hit. But instead of being burned, she crumpled down into a sleep-state.

"Hahaha!" the menacing Akhenaten cried, "The legends say that Horus's right eye is the sun and his left eye is the moon. While my right eye shoots fire, my left eye puts people to sleep."

"What does a sleep ray have to do with the moon?" the confused Akila asked.

"Well ... uhh ... you sleep at night when the moon is out?" Falcon Eye explained.

Not convinced, Akila remarked, "Wouldn't be better if the left eye made people experience zero gravity since the moon's gravity can pull the tide?"

 _Author's note: Shoot! I should have thought of that sooner!_

Anyway, with Ladybug placed in under a sleep spell, Akila could not help but make another outburst. "Ugh! ... fine ... holy slumber! Ladybug has been knocked out!" Akila said, though she could have used more enthusiasm, "Bite me!"

 **OH! NO! Without Ladybug, how will Falcon Eye be stopped! How will our heroes dispel the evil magic from this Akhenaten? Will this be the end of this fanfiction?**

 **We'll just have to wait and see.**


	6. The End?

At the author's office.

*Knock* *Knock*

Author: Come in!

 _Abayomi, Tut, and Akila enters_

Author: What are you doing here? How is this possible?

Akila: We have a problem. We are considering quitting.

Author: Quitting? But why?

Abayomi: This fanfiction is not doing well.

Tut: Seriously, using Batman gags?! That was a horrible idea.

Akila: And I'm still waiting for my paycheck. Those "Holy" outbursts were embarrassing.

Abayomi: Face it. Very few people read this fanfiction. Hardly anybody favorited it or followed it.

Author: But the story is not finished.

Abayomi: Sorry. But it is not working. It is time to try something else.

 _All three characters left._

Author: Wait! ... Wait! ...


	7. The Kiss

The Kiss

(Author runs down the hallway to catch up with Abayomi, Tut, and Akila)

Author: Wait! Wait! Don't Go!

Abayomi: Why?

Author: We must finish the story.

Akila: But it is not popular.

 _(Author stands on a soap box)_

Author: Writing fanfiction is not about popularity, reviews, and a large fanbase. It is about sharing a story and having fun creating it. Even if hardly anybody reads it, as long as we _(actually I because the characters are imaginary)_ enjoy it. That will be enough. And if a couple people had fun reading it, that is wonderful!

 _Crickets Chirping!_

Author: Besides, you forgot one thing.

Akila: _Sigh_. What is it?

 **I AM THE AUTHOR AND YOU MUST DO WHAT I WRITE. MWAHAHAHAHA!**

* * *

 ** _Swoop! Swoop!_**

Falcon Eye was combing the streets and every dark corner for the two costumed crusaders. But not as a predator hungry for prey, but as a man under a lot of pressure. It was a big risk to sneak off to Pharaoh Tutankhamun and recommend that he sacrifices Princess Cleo. He committed treason against his master, King Patra. But he suffered enough under the cruel hands of the Nubian royal family. Not only was the life of a slave agonizingly horrible, but the king, and especially the spoiled, sharp-tongued princess, treated him worse than cattle. Too long has he lived in intolerable conditions. Too long has he faced King Patra's whips and Princess Cleo's insults. He had to take this gamble for freedom. He had to succeed. If he failed in this mission, only a horrible fate awaits him. The best that could happen was that the Egyptian Pharaoh would execute him. The worst was being sent back to King Patra for a fate worse than death. He had to find Ladybug and Chat Bast. He had to destroy them.

Where did they run off to?

* * *

As Falcon Eye continued to fly above, Chat Bast was sitting next to an unconscious Ladybug hidden inside a small empty building. When Chat's sharp ears heard the enemy fly away, he turned his attention back to Ladybug.

 _This is really annoying_ , Chat thought to himself.

He thought back to when Ladybug was hit by the sleep beam and fell unconscious. Falcon Eye would have destroyed her at that moment if Chat did not pick her up and rushed her over to this hideout. Now, not only did Chat have to figure out how to take down this enemy, but he also had to keep an eye on this napping girl all because she let her guard down.

Well, the cat hero had enough. "I'm not going to hide here all day," Chat murmured, "I got a bird to catch."

"Two threads together is stronger than one thread alone," a mysterious voice called out.

"Who's there!" the alarmed Chat shouted.

Out from the shadows emerged a cloaked old man.

"Greetings, Chat Bast, bearer of the Cat Kwami," the man said, "I am Master Xu."

"How did you know about kwamis?" Chat inquired.

"I am the current master of a secret order placed in charge of watching the kwamis and their miraculous," the mysterious old man explained, "There are many things I can talk about. But we first need to break this sleep spell on Ladybug."

"Let her sleep," Chat insisted, "I'm better off working alone."

"Oh! I see," Master Xu commented, "So, how do you plan to take down that flying menace?"

"Well …," Chat started, "I … uh … Just pound it."

"Do you mean like how you did before Ladybug caught Falcon Eye, or after?" the smug elder remarked.

"Well, I … I would have … If Ladybug didn't …" Chat responded.

"Chat Bast, you are mighty indeed," Master Xu calmly said, "But there is no shame in accepting help from others. And even if that person annoyed you or even offended you, you should make an effort to get along with that person. To be humble is a virtue."

As prince of Egypt, Tut was never allowed to show weakness. But if the old man was right and accepting help was not wrong, perhaps he should try it, just once. Still, Ladybug was bossy and scolded him …

"Besides, only Ladybug can dispel the evil magic from Falcon Eye," Master Xu added.

 _Alright, just this once_ , Chat Bast thought.

"But how do I wake her up?" Chat asked.

" **Try kissing her** ," Master Xu casually suggested.

 ** _Ba-Dum!_**

Chat's face suddenly turned bright red.

"K-k-kiss her!?" he replied.

"Right on the lips," Master Xu added. Was that a grin on his face?

The nervous Chat Bast looked at Ladybug. He did not despise kissing. And he does not really hate her or find her revolting. But he never kissed a girl this way in his entire life.

Seeing Chat's hesitation, Master Xu urged him on, "It's not that hard. Just pucker up, and put it on her lips."

"S-STOP TALKING!" Chat cried.

Mustering his courage, the cat hero leaned over the girl. Slowly, he got close to her til he could feel her body heat. She smelled like wildflowers.

 _Well, here goes_ , Chat Bast thought.

Puckering his lips, he leaned even closer towards Ladybug's face. He closed his eyes and moved closer until he felt her soft, pink lips on his. They were so warm. They tasted like honey. A tingle, like electricity, travelled down his spine making his cat tail sash stand up. After a brief moment, Chat Bast got back up and braced himself. How will he explain this to her? He could blame it on old man. Would she be angry? It actually felt pretty nice. … Wait a minute!

LADYBUG WAS STILL ASLEEP!

"WHAT'S GOING ON!" Chat Bast said turning to Master Xu, "You said the kiss would break the spell."

"Well, that's usually how it is done in the stories," Master Xu nonchalantly replied, "I suppose this was not a spell about love. Oh well."

"DON'T JUST GO 'OH, WELL'!" the flustered Chat cried.

"I guess I will have to disrupt the spell myself," the old master continued. Then, he held up an engraved gong.

 ** _Bw-ong!_**

Master Xu rang the gong once and started chanting.

 ** _Bw-ong!_**

Master Xu rang a second time and chanted.

 ** _Bw-ong!_**

Master Xu rang a third time. Chat Bast saw one of Ladybug's fingers move.

 ** _Bw-ong!_**

Master Xu rang for the final time. And Ladybug stirred from her slumber, yawned, and sat up fully awake.

"Why didn't you do that the first time?" Chat Bast asked.

"Just wanted to see you kiss her," the master replied with a smirk.

" _*Yawn*_ What about a kiss?" the groggy Ladybug said.

Master Xu said, "Chat Bast -"

"NOTHING! NOTHING ABOUT A KISS!" the red-faced Chat Bast interrupted.

* * *

 ** _HOWL! HOWL!_**

 ** _RUMBLE! RUMBLE!_**

Suddenly, there was a large commotion outside. It sounded like a large wind was blowing.

An EXTREMELY LARGE WIND BLOWING.

They could also hear the debris crashing, clay pots smashing, and a couple buildings collapsing. Then, there was a sea of screams as people panicked due to this major disaster.

The two heroes quickly got up and went outside. When they emerged from their hideout, they saw … **A MASSIVE TORNADO!**

Falcon Eye got fed up with searching for Ladybug and Chat Bast. So he summoned his flight power, flew in a circle at an incredible speed, and stirred up a cyclone that threatened to tear the city to shreds.

There was no time to lose. Ladybug and Chat Bast had to do something to stop Falcon Eye before the tornado rips everything apart.

Ladybug was about to dash to where Falcon Eye was when Chat Bast grabbed her hand.

"What are you doing?" Ladybug shouted.

"I needed to say something first," Chat said.

"What?" Ladybug responded. What could be so important at this time?

"I …," Chat struggled to say, "I'm sorry."

This was unexpected.

"I never worked with a partner before," Chat continued, "But I would like to give it a shot. How about it? Let's fight him together."

Taken aback, Ladybug had to take a moment to process what he said. But deciding to take him at his word, she replied, "Well … okay?"

So, together, Ladybug and Chat Bast headed towards the storm.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. There was school. Then, I had writer's block. I'm still rather new at writing. If you would like to give me a few tips on writing an exciting story, that would be great.

 **Sneak Peek for the next chapter**

 **Chat: If we get too close, we would be torn to shreds. Got any ideas?**

 **Ladybug: LUCKY CHARM!**

 **The red yo-yo spun and the glittery magic formed …**

 **Chat: I don't think we can take a nap at this time.**

* * *

 **Ladybug: You tried to destroy the city with a tornado.**

 **Keyon: You know nothing about me. You don't know what is at stake.**

* * *

 **Pharaoh Tutankhamun: What did you wish to talk about?**

 **Chief Priest: I don't believe Princess Cleo would be a suitable sacrifice.**

* * *

 **Abayomi was just about to lie down on her mat when she heard a tap on her window cover.**

 **Abayomi: Chat?**

 **Chat: Hello, my lady. Mind if I come in?**

 **An AbayomiXChat moment?**


	8. The Defeat

The Defeat

OH, THE HUMANITY! The city was in peril. Buildings were breaking apart. Debris were flying all over the place. And people were running away in panic as a monster twister moved through the city eating up whatever came its way.

Undeterred by this formidable Akhenaten, our dynamic duo landed on a nearby rooftop to face him. Ladybug was a little worried, though. How they were going get past the tornado? As she was thinking about this, Chat Bast stepped forward, placed one foot on the ledge, and began shouting his introduction.

"I am the black cat that crosses your path-" Chat said.

"What are you doing?" Ladybug immediately asked.

"I am the scratch mark that ruined your furniture-," Chat continued.

"We don't have time for-" Ladybug said.

"I am CHAT BAST!" our cat hero delivered.

Gesturing towards the girl who was constantly interrupting him, Chat mumbled, "and this is my sidekick-"

"SIDEKICK?!" Ladybug cried.

"Ladybug," Chat finished.

At last! Falcon Eye's preys have arrived.

"Ladybug! And Chat **Bart**!" the Akhenaten responded.

"BART?! I'm not a Simpson character," the cat cried out, "It's Bast as in Bastet."

As this was going on, Ladybug decided enough was enough. It was time to take action. So, she ran forward to build up momentum for a great leap. But what would she do? What if Falcon Eye struck her again with one of his eye beams? Why did she just decide to leap towards the tornado? What was she thinking? …

 ** _BUMP!_**

As she was about to leap, her foot hit the ledge. Next thing she knew, she was falling headfirst towards the street below. CLUMSY GIRL! SHE BLEW IT! SHE MESSED UP ON A SIMPLE LEAP!

"AHHH!" Ladybug cried as the street was getting closer and closer. Oh, No! She is going to hit the ground. BRACE YOURSELF! Ladybug closed her eyes and covered her head with her arms.

 ** _HOOK!_**

Fortunately, the fast-acting Chat Bast extended his staff and caught Ladybug in his hook. Then, he gently lowered his catch safely onto the ground.

 _How embarrassing_ , Ladybug thought kneeling in the sand as her partner skillfully leapt down to join her, without any tripping or stumbling. But she had no time to contemplate on her mistake as the black cat grabbed her and lead her down the street towards the city border. "Come on!" Chat shouted over the howling wind, "We have to draw him away from the city so that he won't do as much damage."

 _Why didn't I think of that?_ , Ladybug thought as a frown crawled onto her face.

* * *

Back at the Royal Palace, Pharaoh Tutankhamun was walking down a hallway. His steps were quick as his schedule was tight, and he had very little time to spare. But this sudden meeting was important, or at least it better be. He reached the end of the hallway and passed through the door into a small room. Waiting for him there was Chief Priest Sebak.

"What did you wish to talk about" the pharaoh said wishing to get to the point.

Chief Priest Sebak bowed before the pharaoh and said, "Great Pharaoh, there is a problem with the resurrection ritual."

"What do you mean?" Pharaoh inquired.

"I don't believe Princess Cleo would be a suitable sacrifice," Sebak succinctly said.

* * *

Ladybug and Chat Bast reached the brick wall that surrounded the city, and just as Chat planned, Falcon Eye was headed towards them in his tornado. There were fewer buildings in the area and all the people already evacuated the place. Now, they can focus on the Akhenaten and this terrible storm. They managed to put some distance between them and the twister, but they had to act fast. In only a few minutes, Falcon Eye would be upon them.

"If we get too close, we would be torn to shreds," Chat said to his new partner, "Any ideas?"

But Ladybug seemed out of it. She just stood with a blank expression. In her mind, she was replaying everything that went wrong today: the moment she let a sleep ray hit her, the moment she tripped over the ledge, the poor planning on her part …

 _Ladybug!_

"LADYBUG!" Chat cried snapping her back into reality, "Use your power to create an object that can help us."

Oh yeah! She had that power.

"LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug called out. The red yo-yo spun and the glittery magic formed …

a large hammock.

"I don't think we can take a nap at this time," Chat responded at the appearance of this item.

Ladybug scanned the area. At least she can rely on her magical ladybug senses. It highlighted a pile of crates, a brick wall, and a tall palm tree nearby the wall. She knew what to do.

"Chat, break down that brick wall," Ladybug said as she carried the hammock to the palm tree.

" **CATACLYSM** ," the cat hero shouted summoning his power and engulfing his hand with the black magic of bad luck. Then, he touched a section of the brick wall, and it fell apart into a large pile of mudbricks.

Meanwhile, Ladybug securely tied the hammock to the palm tree. Except it was tied at the very top of the tree instead of the base, and both ends of the hammock were tied together. Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around the top of the tree, and swung down to Chat and the brick pile. This time, Chat followed Ladybug's lead, and together, they tugged on the magic yo-yo and bent the flexible tree all the way down to the ground. Now, with the hammock hanging on the end of the bent tree like a sling, the makeshift contraption revealed itself to be –

"A _Cat_ -apult," Chat jokingly said.

Everything is ready! And just in time. Because the Falcon Eye tornado was about a mile away.

 ** _HOWL! HOWL!_**

The pair wrapped the string around a large rock so that Ladybug could hold the catapult in place. Then, Chat loaded a bunch of bricks into the hammock.

"Loaded!" Chat signaled.

Here goes nothing! Ladybug released the yo-yo string.

 ** _FLING!_**

The palm tree catapult shot the bricks high into the sky. Except it did not hit the tornado. It completely missed it by a mile. In fact, the bricks went on to hit a Sphynx statue in the face knocking off its nose making it look like Michael Jackson. Ladybug messed up again! Is anything going to go her way?

 ** _HOWL! HOWL!_**

The tornado was getting closer! However, before she knew it, Chat Bast shouted, "REPOSITION!" and grabbed the yo-yo string. This time, Chat took Ladybug to another spot, held his thumb up to do some kind of measurement, and pulled the tree down with Ladybug's assistance until it reached a certain angle. Then, Chat reloaded it with bricks, and the duo fired the catapult again.

 ** _FLING!_**

 ** _SUCCESS!_**

The bricks reached the tornado. But it did not hit Falcon Eye who was flying inside the twister. The strong winds blocked the blocks. Now, the bricks were floating in the storm. And the monstrous cyclone continued to creep closer. Nevertheless, the heroes kept flinging bricks and even the crates.

 ** _HOWL! FLING! HOWL! FLING!_**

As the tornado got uncomfortably close, Ladybug and Chat launched more and more objects into the tornado. And the tornado just kept sucking it in until the cyclone was filled with stuff. But this was what the heroes wanted. With so many things in the twister, Falcon Eye had trouble flying in a circle without bumping into something.

 ** _BONK!_**

Soon enough, one of the bricks carried by the tornado hit him and disrupted his flying. Now, the tables have turned as Falcon Eye lost control and was at the mercy of the storm he created. He tumbled and tumbled as his own winds pushed against him. Then, the Akhenaten was tossed out of the collapsing tornado and smacked right into the city wall. At last, the heroes bested Falcon Eye, and the enemy laid on the ground unconscious.

"No more evil doing for you, Akhenaten," Ladybug said as she activated her yo-yo,

" **TIME TO DE-EVILIZE!** "

With a spin and a swing, Ladybug threw the shining yo-yo to the Akhenaten and purified Falcon Eye. Then, the birdman morphed back to a regular Nubian man named Keyon.

Oh! One more thing!

" **MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"** Ladybug shouted as she tossed the hammock into the air. The glittery magic dispersed throughout the city restoring everything from pots to booths to buildings until it was as if the attack never happened. All was as it should be.

Chat Bast held the man down with his hooked staff and said, "Looks like we knocked the wind out of you."

Struggling and panicking, Keyon cried out, "You can't do this to me, you monsters!"

Shocked from being called a monster, Ladybug retorted, "Hey! You tried to destroy the city with a tornado."

Keyon snapped back, "YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IS AT STAKE!"

"What do you mean?" Ladybug asked.

"The mastermind," Chat explained, "There is a mastermind behind these Akhenaten attacks. He sent them out to capture Princess Cleo. And if they fail, they would be punished. Perhaps they would be executed."

 _Oh! I wish_ , Keyon thought. The fate of a recaptured runaway slave was worse. He had to escape.

 ** _Shiiing!_**

Keyon covertly pulled a knife hidden in his belt, and in one swift motion, he threw it. But not at Ladybug or Chat Bast. He threw it at a nearby basket to break it open. Out of the basket flew a swarm of locusts that quickly filled the air providing enough cover for the Nubian to break free and escape. When the locusts cleared up, the man who use to be Falcon Eye was gone.

* * *

Back at the palace, Pharaoh Tutankhamun was discussing the Cleo problem with Chief Priest Sebak.

"Why is Princess Cleo unsuitable?" pharaoh asked.

"Her heart is impure," Sebak stated, "For the gods, the heart is more valuable than wealth and beauty."

The priest held up a scale in his hand.

"This is the Scale of Anubis," Sebak continued, "It weighs the heart to the feather of truth. When I was with Princess Cleo early today, the scale tipped down and measured her heart as too fat with pride and selfishness. Such a soul is unfit for the afterlife."

"Curse the Nubians for wasting my time!" Pharaoh shouted, "Sebak, I'm placing you in charge of searching for a girl with the purest heart to be the sacrifice."

"So let it be written, so let it be done," the chief priest said.

* * *

 **Sneak Peek at the next Chapter**

 **Tikki: Are you okay?**

 **Abayomi: Tikki, I'm scared.**

* * *

 **Chat: I can manage fine on my own. I did things on my own my entire life.**

 **Abayomi: You're not the only one who wears a mask.**

* * *

 **Announcer: EXCITING NEWS! THIS IS THE PROCLAMATION OF YOUR GREAT PHARAOH! A FESTIVAL SHALL BE HELD AT THE NILE MANSION! ALL MAIDENS FROM THE ENTIRE LAND OF EGYPT NEAR AND FAR ARE TO ATTEND!**

 _Author's Note: I apologize to those who wanted to read the AbayomiXChat moment. It will be written, but I decided to put it in the next chapter since this chapter was already pretty long._

 _Also, for those who saw the earlier version of this chapter, I apologize for the confusion. I recently read that the French used the word "Akhenaten" to call akumatized victims. Coincidentally, that was an Egyptian name. I liked the idea so much that I decided to change "Hekan" to "Akhenaten". There might be a law saying that I can't change the name once I publish it. But I'll make a one time offense._

* * *

Here are some ideas that I decided to leave out of the story.

(A "Clannad" reference)

Abayomi: What is your transformation sequence like?

Chat: It is certainly not like a magic girl transformation

 _(Inside Abayomi's mind)_

 _Chat waves a magic star wand, winks, and shouts as his outfit changes, "Henshin!_

 _Piraruku, Piraruku, Gyo, Gyo, Gyo, Gyo, Gyo._

 _I like fish!" *Wink*_

 _(End of Dream Sequence)_

Abayomi: HAHAHAHA!

Chat's eyes glow red in anger.

* * *

(A "Wizard of Oz" reference)

Inside the twister, Falcon Eye screeched, "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little cat, too."


	9. The Cat

**The Cat**

With the day over and the battle behind her, Abayomi sat in her room. Outside in the streets, there were people celebrating and dancing for the defeat of Falcon Eye. However, Abayomi was not happy at all. She just sat quietly on her stool staring absentmindedly at the sunset through her window.

Worried for her chosen one, Tikki flew up to her and asked, "Aba, are you alright?"

"I'm sorry, Tikki," Abayomi unexpectedly said, "Because of my mistake, we were put to sleep."

"It's alright. Everything turned out fine," Tikki said. But not everything was fine. The girl just sat quietly and continued to stare out the window. Tikki was worried. Her chosen one was usually very cheerful, but now, she seemed to be suffering. Tikki flew closer to her and asked, "Are you okay?"

For a minute, Abayomi didn't respond. But seeing that her kwami was so worried, she opened up. "It's just … It's just that … I'm not sure if I'm good enough to be Ladybug," the girl admitted, "You didn't know this. I'm cursed. When I'm nervous, I get really clumsy. I trip and mess up all over the place. Today, I was horrible."

"You did fine," Tikki assured her.

"But first, I got hit by the sleep spell. Then, I tripped during the leap. I mis-shot the catapult," Abayomi went on and on, "I was a mess today."

"It's okay to mess up sometimes. We just have to learn from it," Tikki said.

"But what if I can never get better?" Abayomi reacted, "I'm not really a super girl or a wonder woman. I've never been good at this kind of thing. I'm just a weak, clumsy girl. Wh-what if I would never be good enough? _*Sniff*_ If I go back out there, I-I'm afraid that I'll mess up again."

Abayomi covered her face and sobbed for a while. After she calmed down a little, the girl said, "Tikki, I'm scared."

Then, she felt a pair of tiny hands wrap around her neck. Tikki was on her neck doing her best to give this poor girl a hug with her itty-bitty arms. Was Tikki crying? Abayomi could hear her kwami sob a little. Tikki could have given her some words of wisdom. She certainly had something to say. But sometimes, all you can do is hug, cry, and let it out. Touched by her tiny fairy friend, Abayomi gently placed her hands around Tikki and returned the hug.

Feeling a little better, Abayomi decided it was time to sleep. However, before she got up, a stray cat climbed into her window, which was just a rectangular hole in the wall. At the sight of this, the girl instinctively said in baby talk, "Aww! Aren't you a cute one. Do you need a warm place to stay?" However, the cat just climbed right out of the window and acrobatically hopped down to the street.

Abayomi shut the window. Then, she was just about to lie down on her mat when she heard a tap on her window cover. A familiar voice whispered from outside, "Hello? Are you still awake?"

Opening the window covers, the girl was shocked at who the visitor was and said, "Chat?"

"Hello, my lady. Mind if I come in?" the cat hero said.

As he came through the window, the girl asked this unexpected visitor, "What are you doing here, Chat **Blanc**?"

"BLANC?! You're in the wrong fanfiction," Chat responded, "I wanted to return your coat."

"You know, it is rude to return a gift," Abayomi said.

Of course, Chat did not mean to be rude or show ingratitude. So, he explained, "Oh! No, no! I really appreciate your gift. I just thought that you would need it more than I do. After all, I'm very strong."

Then, he saw the girl looking at the floor in a depressed mood. She was still gloomy from the battle, but Chat thought he hurt her. Chat scrambled to clarify, "I mean … uh … I was not use to somebody helping me before. I was just always alone, and I had to do things on my own."

"You were always alone?" the girl responded.

"Y-yeah," Chat said realizing his slip-up. Then, he put on his bravest face and continued, "But I can manage fine on my own. I did things on my own my entire life."

As he was talking, the cat hero felt Abayomi wrap her arms around his chest as she gave him a hug, like Tikki did earlier. The cat just stood there confused. Then, Abayomi said, "You can't fool me. You're not the only one who wears a mask."

The young girl explained, "I also put on a brave face when I try to hide something. A few days ago, a mean merchant called me a 'stupid girl' and I smiled in order to hide the fact that I was scared. Don't feel that you have to hide from me. You can tell me what is bothering you."

Tut was touched. For once, somebody cared about him and his feelings. As the prince and future rising sun of Egypt, he was suppose to act more than human. If he was hurt, tired, sad, or weak, he had to hide all of it. But not with her. Now, he did not have to act like an invincible, mighty prince or a strong superhero. She saw him as a human and it was okay. Before he knew it, he returned the hug. Seeing that Chat felt better, Abayomi said, "If you ever need somebody to talk to, I'll be here." All of a sudden, it felt like a heavy weight was lifted off Chat's heart and a new sensation tingled inside him.

Uh, Oh! A tear was emerging from Chat's green eyes. A man should not cry. Got to wipe it away! So, Chat did the first thing that came to mind: rub his face on Abayomi's shoulder. That's not good enough. She'll know you were crying. Then, he had another idea: keep acting as a cat so he can pass off that face rub as part of a playful act. So, he got on all fours and rubbed his face on her leg. His cheeks tingled as it stroked the girl's legs. Abayomi, though surprised, also like how it felt when this cat-costumed man rubbed his face on her. Then, Chat purred.

 _Purrrrr!_

Abayomi thought this was adorable, so she could not help but play along and do what she usually did to cats.

Petting his head, Abayomi said in baby talk, "Aww! Aren't you a cute one. Do you need a warm place to stay?"

 _WAIT! WHAT AM I SAYING?!_ she realized in her head.

Pushing the black cat away, the red-faced Abayomi stuttered, "U-Uh! W-What I mean is, W-Well, Not with me, not in this room, of course, that's too weird, I- I- I guess you can stay in my family's living room…"

Chat blushed, and he politely declined, "That's okay. I need to go back on patrol."

He turned towards the window, but he paused before he turned to her and said, "If you are ever in danger, you can count on me to come save you, wherever you are."

Then, he climbed out the window, and before he dashed off, he quickly added, "Besides, I just rubbed my scent all over you."

"WHAT?!" Abayomi cried in embarrassment and disgust.

* * *

Back at the palace, Chat arrived at the prince's bedroom and detransformed. As soon as the costume was gone, Plagg came out of the black ring and gave a cry of annoyance, "Yuck! I hate romance. All that touchy, mushy stuff. Eww!"

Prince Tut chuckled and said, "Don't worry. I won't be romancing her as Chat Bast anymore."

"Oh, thank you!" the black kwami replied, "Who needs girls when you have delicious, gooey cheese."

"Actually, I need to get closer to her," the prince clarified.

"Huh?" Plagg said.

"Chat Bast is only a mask. If I want to get close to her, she needs to know the man under the mask: Prince Tut," Tut explained.

"Oh, please! Cheese is way better," Plagg responded.

Tut shook his head and said, "But girls smell much nicer. OH, NO!"

"What is it now, human," the kwami sighed.

"I didn't get her name," Tut cried.

* * *

The next day, Abayomi was running her family's clothing booth at the marketplace, with her friend Akila keeping her company. Abayomi was quietly sitting and watching the crowd as her friend commented, "This is crazy!" What happened was the crowd was in a cat _hiss_ -teria. After they saw Chat Bast, the champion of the cat goddess, give his introduction and bravely fought Falcon Eye, everybody was paying homage to cats. People set up cat shrines in their homes, wore Bastet charms, and brought home any stray cat they found. It was a fine day to be a cat. But what bothered Akila was that no homage was paid to Ladybug. You could say that she was _fel-ine_ annoyed.

"I mean, it is not everyday that you see a strong lady," Akila said. But Abayomi did not pay attention. She was still down. She felt that she was ignored because she did a poor job.

A little boy walked by dressed up as Chat Bast. He wore a black sash as a cat tail, held a black stick as Chat Bast's staff, and painted a black mask on his face with ink. _It's a nice costume, but it needs a special touch_ , Abayomi thought.

"Here, take this," the girl said as she held out a black Chat Bast mask. The boy excitedly grabbed the mask and put it on before running off to fight Akhenatens.

"Not you, too," her friend cried at the sight of the hand-stitched mask.

"I had trouble sleeping last night and I needed something to do," Abayomi explained.

"Here's an idea!" Akila said, "How about you make a ladybug costume?"

"What?" Abayomi replied.

"You are very talented," Akila continued, "If you do that, I'll be your first customer. Promise!"

Before Abayomi could say another word, horns sounded as a royal announcer stood in the center of the marketplace. He opened a papyrus scroll and read,

"Attention, everybody! Exciting news! This is the proclamation of your great pharaoh! A festival shall be held at the Nile Mansion! All maidens from the entire land of Egypt near and far are to attend."

* * *

 **Sneak Peek at the Next Chapter**

 **Princess Cleo: Abayomi? More like Aba-yucky.**

* * *

 **Walking up to Abayomi, Prince Tut said, "I believe this is yours."**

* * *

 **Unbeknownst to the girls, Keyon stood hidden in the shadows with murderous eyes locked onto his target.**

* * *

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed it. I'm still new to writing, especially romantic scenes. So, if you would like to give me a writing tip, that would be great.

* * *

 **Here is an idea that I left out of the story:**

 **A town choir was on the steps of the marketplace waving their hands and singing,**

 **"Everybody, Everybody,**

 **Everybody wants to be a cat!**

 **Hallelujah!**

 **Everybody, Everybody,**

 **Everybody wants to be a cat!"**

 **("Everybody Wants to be a Cat" from the movie "Aristocats" © Walt Disney Music Company)**


	10. The Festival

**The Festival**

 **Disclaimer: I am not an Egyptologist. So there would be several fallacies in this story regarding Ancient Egypt.**

Nightfall!

Keyon, the Nubian runaway slave, walked as he remembered his reason for his hatred towards the Nubian royals. He came from a family of Medjays. They were a small tribe living a peaceful, nomadic life. Then, one fateful day, they were spotted by a militia serving under the ruthless Nubian rulers. He was only a toddler when the soldiers surrounded his tribe and attacked. Vastly outnumbered and overpowered, the Medjay warriors were quickly slain. Those who survived were bound in thick, chaffing rope and stripped of their possessions, their joy, and their freedom. The years of performing backbreaking labor under the scorching sun fed Keyon's flame of vengeance. Fortunately, his family taught him the Medjay's skills of stealth, survival, and knife combat. Tonight, though his skills were unpolished, he would put them to good use. Tonight, he will assassinate.

"YOU! What is your business here?" an Egyptian guard shouted. Keyon was spotted trying to sneak with the crowd onto the festival grounds. Turns out that wearing a hooded cloak does not camouflage you very well. Especially if you are in a crowd of girls wearing pretty dresses.

* * *

The Nile Mansion was full of life and color. All sorts of Egyptian flowers sat in gem-covered vases. The walls were decorated with gold, silver, precious stones, and beautiful tapestries. Candles illuminated inside the huge mansion and even the courtyard outside. And the silver moon glimmered on the vast Nile river's ripples.

"This is so exciting. Isn't it, Aba?" Akila said to her friend.

"Haha! But I still can't believe you are wearing that to the festival," Abayomi replied.

Akila was wearing the Ladybug dress that Abayomi created for her. It was an exact replica of Ladybug's red Egyptian dress with each black spot at the exact same place. The only differences between Akila's costume and the actual outfit were that there were no gold bracelets because Abayomi could not afford gold and there was no mask because Abayomi insisted it to be left at home.

As for the talented weaver, Abayomi was wearing her newly created kalasiris. It was a bright orange sleeveless dress of a simple design. To top it off, she wore her latest invention: sandals made of red cloth, which were leftover when she finished the Ladybug costume.

They stood in line where hundreds of maidens waited. As they entered the mansion one-by-one, they were to walk into the main chamber and bow before the Pharaoh, who sat on his throne with Prince Tut seated at his right hand. What the guests did not know was that this was part of the Pharaoh's plan to find the girl with the purest heart. Hidden behind a curtain, Chief Priest Sebak stood near the throne with the Scale of Anubis. As the girls stood before Pharaoh, Sebak weighed their hearts.

"Neith from Thebes," the royal announcer proclaimed. Neith walked up and bowed in front of Pharaoh.

The scale tipped down. Too heavy with greed.

"Nenet from Rosetta," the royal announcer proclaimed.

The scale tipped down slightly. A little jealousy.

After a couple hundred girls, Akila entered the main chamber.

"Akila from Memphis," the announcer shouted.

Akila came to the foot of the throne and bowed.

The Scale of the Anubis tipped up. Her heart was very pure with good character.

Then, it was Abayomi's turn.

"Abayomi from Memphis," the announcer proclaimed.

Slowly, Abayomi walked towards the throne. But when she got there, she just stood there.

 _That's her! That the girl_ , Tut said in his thoughts, _The announcer said she is Abayomi. 'Abayomi'. So that is her name._ _Abayomi – 'bringer of joy.' What a fitting name! That night, she saw my pain behind the mask. From just a small kind gesture, she cured me from my haunting loneliness, mended my aching heart, and filled it with sweet joy._

The prince was trained to sit in a regal manner at all times. But at that moment, all the teachings and formalities were forgotten as the prince got out of his seat and walked over to the girl. Her dress was plain and austere. She did not wear any jewelry except black earrings and a wesekh collar Akila lent her. And her face was cute but unimpressive and clearly showed that she was a poor commoner. But in Tut's eyes, she was the most precious girl in all of Egypt.

Standing in front of her, Tut was about to greet her when his father slammed his fist on the throne's arm. The prince turned around and saw the Pharaoh's angry eyes, and he returned to his seat where he belonged. With a sigh, the Pharaoh dismissed Abayomi and the next girl came in.

* * *

A buffet was set in the courtyard. How extravagant! How divine! There were hundreds of platters filled with Egyptian delicacies. There was a roasted pig, seasoned lamb, honeyed dates, fried fish, stuffed waterfowl, boiled locusts, spiced alligator, and roasted scarab beetles.

As Abayomi perused the choices skipping the pig and scarabs, Akila was complaining about alligators being on the menu.

"Alligators are such beautiful creatures," Akila argued.

"Remember when you tried to bring one home to be your pet?" Abayomi chuckled.

"Yes, yes. It is a rare honor for you, unfortunates, to be graced by my presence," a loud, obnoxious voice cried, "NOW, CAN ONE OF YOU UNDERPRIVELEDGED MONKEYS GET YOUR PRINCESS SOMETHING TO EAT!"

Oh, great! Princess Cleo was here.

* * *

The greeting ritual took forever. But it was finally over. And yet, Prince Tut was stuck at his seat because the stupid formalities require the future rising sun of Egypt to remain at the throne throughout the party. Well, he was not going to stay here for the entire night, especially when Abayomi was here. He needed to find a way to sneak off.

"I need to relieve myself at the toilet," the clever prince said, "May I be excused, father?"

It worked! He was allowed to leave to use the toilet. The plan was nice and simple. Go to the toilet room, but then sneak off to find Abayomi.

"EEEK!" a high-pitched shriek emerged when Tut opened the toilet room. Apparently, it was occupied.

"Sorry!" Tut shouted as he quickly closed the door. He was kind of embarrassed, but he could not shake off the feeling that she was rather large for a girl.

* * *

 _That was close_ , thought Keyon who was undressing in the toilet room. He just successfully infiltrated the mansion by disguising as a lady, complete with a wig and makeup. Unfortunately, the only kalasiris that fitted him was sleeveless, so he had to ditch his hidden arm blade. But now that he made it into the festival grounds, he can change back into his assassin clothes and move to phase two of his plan.

* * *

The atmosphere of the party suddenly turned sour as Miss. Snobby approached the buffet table.

"Can one of you, lower-class grunts, fetch me something to eat?" Princess Cleo continued her tirade, "I'M STARVING!"

"The table is only 5 feet away," Akila boldly said, "It's not that hard."

"EXACTLY!" Cleo said, "It's not that hard. So, somebody get it!"

A random Egyptian girl, named Salihah, quickly came with a plate of various meats, fruits, and vegetables and said with a sweet, pandering voice, "H-Here! I got you some food, your majesty!" Sampling a small piece of food, Cleo shrugged and said, "Hmph! It will do." Then, she noticed Abayomi and her plain orange dress. Uh, Oh! The predator has spotted it prey.

"Ha! You call that a dress?" Miss. Princess of Snobs started, "It looks like the burlap rags that my dirty slaves wear."

* * *

Standing behind a marble pillar, Prince Tut was scanning the crowd for Abayomi. Where could she be? Was it that girl? No, she was wearing too much jewelry. Was it that girl? No, her hair was too curly.

Wait! Near the edge of the dense crowd. Is that her? That must be her. Her gorgeous, dark, shoulder-length hair was straight, simple, and innocent.

Getting out from behind the pillar, the prince moved quickly to her and tapped on her shoulder. With his gentle, smooth voice, Prince Tut asked, "Excuse me, my lady. May I have this dance?"

The surprised girl quickly turn around and faced him with her … white and red face.

Oops! Wrong girl. Her entire face was caked with white lead powder, and her lips were painted red with crushed bug juice.

 _Health Warning: White lead, or any lead, is toxic and can lead to skin rash and lead poisoning._

The flattered girl said, "You know, where I come from, we greet each other by kissing each other's cheek."

* * *

Abayomi was use to people insulting her clothes. But this obnoxious princess went far beyond that.

"And what did you say your name was?" Cleo continued roasting her, "Abayomi? More like Aba-yucky. Am I right? Ahahahaha!"

"Hey!" Akila shouted to defend her best friend, "How would you feel when someone insults your name? And she is the most talented weaver in Egypt. She even made my dress."

"SHE made your dress?" the princess responded to this annoying peasant, "I think it is an insult. Ladybug would never wear such a cheap, unadorned imitation. She is far more refined than your simple, stupid, unsophisticated mind can ever understand. She clearly belongs to a higher class than you."

"You're wrong," a soft voice said. Finally, Abayomi spoke. She could not stay silent when her friend was targeted. But the princess was not impressed.

Immediately, Cleo retaliated, "Oh! And you think Ladybug is more like you? A poor, common girl? In fact, you don't even look Egyptian." A shock suddenly went down Abayomi's spine. Seeing that she struck a nerve, the unrelenting princess stepped on Abayomi's foot. "And what's with your sandal? It's hideous. It's made out of cheap red cloth," Princess Cleo stated before she pushed the poor girl away. When Abayomi fell, her foot fell out of the red sandal, which the mean princess immediately picked up and threw across the courtyard. With tears flowing down her face, Abayomi got up and ran off to get away and to find her sandal.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the girls, Keyon stood hidden in the shadows with murderous eyes locked onto his target. After sneaking around the mansion grounds, he finally got close enough to make his move. He opened a bag and out slithered a venomous Cobra. One bite with its poison-dripping fangs would mean certain death to its victim. It slithered under the buffet table. It moved towards the group of girls. It approached the ankle of its target: Princess Cleo.

Just 10 inches away.

Just 6 inches away.

Just 3 inches away.

"Aww! Aren't you a cute one?" Akila uncontrollably said as she spotted the snake. She immediately picked it up and stroked its long scaly body. Surprisingly, the snake didn't attack. Instead, it forgot its mission and just enjoyed the warm, loving sensation.

"EEEEK!" Princess Cleo shrieked before dashing away. Oh, well! At least it scared her (along with many other girls).

* * *

As this was going on, Abayomi was on the other side of the courtyard looking for her sandal. Where could it be? Hopefully, nobody picked it up and took it away. She was crawling between people and combing the ground with her hands. Then, she came upon a pair of a man's feet.

"Hello! I believe this is yours," a gentle voice said.

Abayomi lifted her head and saw the blond prince of Egypt standing in front of her. Her glossy brown eyes met his emerald eyes. After a moment of staring silently, Tut gave her the most charming smile and offered her a hand to help her up. She felt a tingle as the prince's smooth, warm hand held her own as he led her to a seat and sat her down. In a role reversal, the prince kneeled in front of her. Then, he held out the red sandal that she lost and placed it on her foot. It was as if Abayomi, the normal girl, became a princess. Her face glowed red. It was like something from a dream. Don't wake me up.

"Why don't we go get some air?" Tut said as he got up as he took her hand again, and the pair went for a stroll along the Nile River's moonlit shore.

* * *

Frustration barely describes what Keyon was experiencing after the snake failed and Princess Cleo ran away. He came so close to achieving the biggest wish in his life, and his plan fell apart in front of him. If he was not busy hiding, he would have thrown the biggest rage that would have been heard throughout Africa.

 _Gurgle! Gurgle!_ Keyon's stomach rumbled. Ever since his defeat at the hands of Ladybug and Chat Bast, all he ate were scraps that he managed to steal or find. Fortunately, the buffet table was nearby. The food was so fragrant and succulent. Perhaps, if he was sneaky enough, maybe he could get a bite without being caught.

Slowly he crawled to the table. _Creep! Creep! Creep!_ He was so close to getting a piece of fish when he turned his head to the side and saw Akila staring at him.

 _Oh! Shoot!_ He has been caught! He would need to run before her scream alerted the guards.

But a scream never came. Instead, Akila asked, "Do you want that fish?" and handed him the fried fish. Then, she said, "You must really hungry to sneak into the mansion for some food," as she placed a bunch of food on a plate for him.

Such a kind soul. Keyon never saw such generosity in all of Egypt. Then, when she kneeled down to hand him the plate, he got a good look at her face and he suddenly felt like crying. Above Akila's right brow was a mole. It was just like … on his daughter's forehead.

His dear little Kali. Nothing made him happier in his miserable life. She was a ray of sunshine full of sweetness and innocence. Then, his only sunshine was taken away on that fateful day when she was sold off to a foreign noble, and he never saw her again. The memories flooded his mind and led to a flood of tears as his hardened heart was breached.

"Are you okay, sir?" Akila asked. The weeping man nodded before he turned around and left the mansion ground.

No one will die tonight.

* * *

 **Sneak Peek for the Next Chapter**

 **Tikki: Abayomi, do you remember the pocket?**

* * *

 **Chat: Looks like this Prince Tut is a very nice guy**

 **Abayomi: I thought cats rubbed their scent to claim them as their property.**

* * *

 **Pharaoh Tutankhamun: The ritual will be performed today!**

* * *

 _Author's Note: Phew! I can't believe how many chapters I wrote. I'm almost at the climax. If you were wondering what kind of ending I'm planning, check out the scroll in the Ladybug episode. Notice how Ladybug was not wearing a mask? Why is that?_


	11. The Next Day

The Next Day

 **Author's Note: In case you missed my note. I found out that the cartoon called akumatized victims Akhenatens in the French language. So, I decided to change "Hekans" to "Akhenatens." Sorry.**

Prince Tut and Abayomi watch the gentle waves on the Nile River. Abayomi's smooth, tanned skin glowed under the soft moonlight. Tut placed his hand under her chin and lifted up her face so he could see the stars reflecting in her irises.

"Your dress is lovely," Tut said.

Blushing, Abayomi replied, "Thanks. I weaved it myself."

"So, you're a weaver. Your hands are truly a gift from heaven," the prince said making her smile.

A cold breeze came from the river making the girl shiver. But before she could regret not bringing a shawl, Tut pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her, and shared his body heat. As he held her tight and caressed her head against his chest, Tut remembered fondly of the night he visited her room and she gave him a warm hug. It was then that he found a companion in this lonely world.

Abayomi, on the other hand, was absolutely confused. Sure, it felt nice as the prince warmed her with his body. But she hardly knew him and she was still wondering why he was doing this. Still, not wanting to look ungrateful or offend the prince, she slowly returned the hug and wrapped her arms around his chest.

Then, the following words slipped out Tut's mouth, "Please, be my lady." He got ahead of himself, but he could not help it. However, Abayomi stayed absolutely silent. This prince of Egypt just asked her something big. Was it okay? She was at the marriageable age. But he was a stranger to her.

Then, Princess Cleo's words rang in her ear, "You don't even look like an Egyptian." Suddenly, fear gripped her heart. She could not honor his request. She just couldn't. It just wouldn't work. Trembling, she stepped back, and her whimpering voice squeaked, "I'm … I'm sorry." Before the prince could make sense of what she said, the girl dashed off into the night.

She was not seen at the party again.

* * *

After the festival ended, the moment the last guest left the mansion grounds, Pharaoh Tutankhamun rushed to Chief Priest Sebak.

"Sebak, tell me, have you found a girl with a pure heart?" he asked. May the gods have mercy if it failed. Fortunately, the chief priest could answer his pharaoh with "Yes, O Great Pharaoh. The search was a success."

"Who is she? Tell me!" Tutankhamun shouted.

"The girl with the purest heart," Sebak replied, "is Akila from our own capital, Memphis. From all the girls I measured, her heart rose the highest with purity and good character." Of course, he conveniently left out that he missed one girl. He was not able to get a measurement on Abayomi because she did not get close enough to the throne. Oh, well! Akila will still make a good sacrifice. The great Ra should be pleased.

"Then, hurry!" Pharaoh Tutankhamun said, "Tonight, prepare the altar. Tomorrow, we shall get the sacrifice."

"At once, O Great One," Sebak replied.

* * *

The golden sun rose up as Abayomi woke up in her room. She was still tired from last night's party, and her parents said she could stay home and rest. But there were many things going on in her head, and she wanted to distract herself with work. But, when she opened the front door, her heart hit her chest as she saw gifts at her feet. And they were not ordinary gifts, like the drawing her neighbor Nathaniel gave her. They were expensive. There was a bouquet of white and blue Nile Lilies and a roll of the finest linen.

"Oh! Looks like someone has a crush on you, Aba," her mother said. But Abayomi just snatched the gifts up and scampered into her room closing the door behind her.

"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" Abayomi mumbled.

"What's wrong? They look like wonderful gifts," Tikki said as her holder scrambled around.

"But I'm afraid I know who it is from," the red-faced girl replied.

 ** _Tap! Tap!_**

Abayomi nearly had a heart attack as someone knocked on her window.

"My lady! Are you home?" a familiar voice whispered.

* * *

At the temple of Ra, the royal servants were finishing the preparations. All that was missing were 100 mummies and, most important of all, the girl. Standing at the empty altar, Pharaoh Tutankhamun was about to rectify this problem … by using the Pendant of Ra on Chief Priest Sebak. His plan was to bestow the priest with the powers of Anubis, the jackal god of the dead.

"Anubis, give my servant power," the man shouted and Sebak morphed into a muscular Akhenaten with a black jackal head.

"Grave Dog, I'm granting you the power to create and control mummies, as well as other powers of Anubis. Use it to prepare 100 mummies, and bring me Akila for the sacrifice," Pharaoh Tutankhamun commanded.

"At once, your highness!" Grave Dog growled.

* * *

As Chat entered the room, Abayomi scrambled to hide the gifts behind her back. But it was too late. The cat's out of the bag. To her surprise though, Chat simply said, "Wow! Nice gifts. Someone must really like you."

"Oh! No. It's nobody," the flustered girl, "It's certainly not from the prince of Egypt."

"Prince Tut?" the cat man said. _Oh! Pricks!_ the clumsy girl thought.

"Looks like this _Purr_ -ince Tut is a very nice guy," Chat continued. Then, an awkward silence filled the room as Abayomi just stood there giving Chat a confused look. The black cat saw her blank expression and wondered if he said something wrong. Why didn't she look happy? After a moment of just standing frozen, the girl finally spoke again.

"So, you are not jealous?" she asked.

"Jealous? Why?" Chat replied as he was still trying to figure out what was going on.

"Oh," she said. It was just one simple word, but it was saturated with sadness and disappointment. He was trying to wrap his head around this when she spoke again, "I thought cats rubbed their scent on you to claim you as their own." Then, a shocking realization hit him like a ton of bricks. She had feelings for the hero Chat Bast. And despite his best attempts, she did not seem willing to give Prince Tut a chance. Now, he knew how Clark Kent felt.

Before he could figure out what to do, Abayomi asked, "Are you still afraid to open up to me?" Being careful not to scare the cat away, she calmly walked towards him and gently petted his head. Her warm hand felt so nice.

 _Purrrr!_

Still, he had to get to the bottom of this problem. "So, why don't you like Prince Tut?" Chat asked. That annoyed her. But if she wanted Chat to open up, then she probably had to open up, too.

"Well, I don't hate him," she said, "But I don't think it will work between us."

"Why would you say that?" he asked.

Taking her hand off the cat's head, Abayomi hesitated for a moment. Then, she took a deep breath and said, "I … I'm not … I'm not actually Egyptian."

"Huh?" Chat said.

"I'm a foreigner in a foreign land," she explained.

"You're an immigrant?" he replied.

 ** _AHHHH!_**

All of a sudden, screams exploded from the marketplace. There must be an attack. "Wait here!" Chat Bast said as he hopped out the window.

With no one else around, Tikki emerged from hiding. "Time to transform," Abayomi said. But the kwami had something to tell her chosen one.

"Abayomi, do you remember your pocket?" Tikki said, "Remember the story behind your pocket."

 _Blink! Blink!_

The girl stood confused for a moment. Then, shaking it off, she called out the magic words.

"Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

"I want my mummy. I mean 'I want my mommy'," a little boy cried as screams and panic filled the marketplace. The streets were filled with mummy minions with Grave Dog at the center. A desperate merchant tried to run away but as soon as the jackal man saw him, his eyes fired a magic beam and the merchant was immediately wrapped in bandages and wobbled under Grave Dog's control. Terror was all around. Who's going to save them?

Then, someone pointed to a nearby rooftop and shouted, "Look! It's Bastet's champion." Holding his hooked staff high into the sky, Chat Bast shouted his intro,

"I am the black cat that crosses your path.

I am the furball vomited on-"

"Here comes your friendly, neighborhood Ladybug!" a voice cried out as Ladybug swung onto the scene. Landing next to Chat, she turned to him and flirted, "Hey there, Tiger!" But annoyed at the interruption, the cat hero frowned at her.

"Go, Ladybug!" a lone voice cried out. It was Akila who was in the spectating crowd … and was the only one cheering for the polka-dotted heroine.

 _There she is_ , Grave Dog noted. Then, he fired his embalming beam at the spectators, carefully avoiding the spectacles-wearing girl. The heroes had to stop this spell-caster. So, they jumped down in front of Grave Dog and assumed their fighting pose.

The jackal Akhenaten ferociously growled, "Ladybug! And Chat **Bat.** "

"Hey! Hey! Don't bring up Chapter 5," Chat replied.

 ** _Grab! Grab!_**

Before the dynamic duo could get any closer to the jackal man, many bandaged hands wrapped around Ladybug and Chat. Shoving and kicking, the miraculous mortals managed to move away from the many mummy minions and were mere moments from mugging the massive, mind-controlled, mummified mob. _*Phew* That's a lot of 'm' words._

"Careful now!" the sly villain said to the heroes, "They are innocent people: merchants. fathers, mothers, maybe somebody you know. You would not want to seriously hurt them, would you?"

As the mummy crowd stepped closer and closer and closer, the heroes wonder what to do in light of this fact. How can they handle the swarm? Is there a way to stop them?

Then, Ladybug saw the end of a bandage handing loosely on one of the mummies. _What would happen if she removed the bandage?_ she thought. With one swift motion, she grabbed the bandage and pulled.

 ** _Whirl!_**

The mummy spun like a top bumping several of its fellow minions away until the long bandage came off. Unfortunately, the unwrapping did not turn it back into an ordinary person as Ladybug hoped. It was still a fully wrapped mummy. It was as if another layer of bandages magically appeared underneath.

 ** _Bang!_**

A blast of fire flew by Chat and Ladybug as Grave Dog summoned a hot iron rod and repeatedly fired magic fireballs.

 ** _Spin!_**

Ladybug twirled her red yo-yo at top speed shielding herself and her partner. Then, while Grave Dog focused on shooting the yo-yo shield, Chat leaped high from behind Ladybug towards the jackal.

 ** _Clash! Clang!_**

Chat's staff met Grave Dog's rod as the cat and the jackal exchanged blows. Unfortunately, the mummy crowd turned and headed towards Chat. It would not be long before the minions interfered. Something had to be done.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug called out as she threw her yo-yo up. Spinning fast, the yo-yo poured out glittery magic and formed … four large stakes. Okay! What should she do with these? Looking around, her Ladybug senses highlighted a mallet sitting at a nearby booth, the mummies, and the bandage she pulled off one of the mummies. Using all her creativity, Ladybug thought hard. Then, she had a crazy idea. Swiftly, she went from one mummy to another and pulled bandages from them until she had an armful of long bandages. Then, she grabbed the mallet, leaped to the area where Chat and Grave Dog were fighting, and hammered the stakes into the four corners. Finally, she tied the bandages from one stake to another forming a pen around Chat and Grave Dog to keep the mummies away.

No! Wait! This is not just a pen. It is a boxing ring.

No! Wait! It is a WWE wrestling ring.

 **LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!**

"So, you want a piece of me? You think you're so tough?" Grave Dog spouted.

"Ha! You're gonna run away with your tail between your legs, dog breath," Chat smacked down.

"I'm sorry. I can't hear you. Cat got your tongue?" Grave Dog retaliated.

"Sniffed someone's butt?" Chat said.

"Coughed up a furball?" Grave Dog said.

"Ate your own poop?" Chat said.

 **OH! IT'S ON!**

Grave Dog charged in to hit Chat's face with a forearm smash. But Chat ducked under and grabbed Grave Dog's arm to throw him against the ropes. The dog man bounced off the ropes, and Chat jumped delivering a dropkick knocking him to the ground.

 ** _Bam!_**

But Grave Dog was not finished. He got up, grabbed Chat, and lifted the cat up above his jackal head.

 **AND IT'S A BODY SLAM!**

Chat's lying on the floor when he heard Ladybug call out, "Tag me! Tag me!" Chat reached his arm out as far as he could.

Their hands almost touched!

A little further!

 ** _Tag!_**

Ladybug stood on the ropes. Then, she jumped and gave Grave Dog a flying thrust kick, which sent him back onto the ground. The woozy jackal man sat back up when Chat walked over with a chair.

 **GIVE HIM THE CHAIR!**

 ** _Smack!_**

It was time to finish it. Ladybug climbed up a corner. Then, she did a backflip off the ropes and bellyflopped onto Grave Dog to press his back against the floor. And as a final touch, her partner came over, grabbed Grave Dog's arm with his hands and legs and performed an armbar submission.

 **1 … 2 … 3! The winners are Ladybug and Chat Bast!**

* * *

As this was going on, Pharaoh Tutankhamun stood in the temple of Ra wearing the Mask of the Ancient Pharaohs. It granted him several powers, including the ability to see everything in Egypt. As he watched Grave Dog wrestled to the ground, the pharaoh's fury erupted.

"No! The ritual will be performed TODAY!" Tutankhamun declared as he activated the Pendant of Ra, "Thoth, give me spells!" The pendant gave a bright flash, and the pharaoh transformed into an Akhenaten with a baboon head. Then, he wrote the word "Portal" and a portal to the marketplace appeared.

Ladybug and Chat Bast's eyes opened wide as this new Akhenaten suddenly appeared before them. Then, it wrote the word "Time" and a time bubble appeared and trapped the two heroes. In no time at all, Grave Dog got back up and commanded his 100 mummies to walk through the portal. To Ladybug's shock, two of the mummies were carrying Akila.

"Ladybug, help me!" Akila cried out.

"NOOOOO!" the slow-downed Ladybug called out from inside the time bubble as she could do nothing but watch Akila pass through the portal followed by the two Akhenatens.

* * *

 **Sneak Peek for the next chapter**

 **Keyon: I can help.**

* * *

 **Chat: Where did Ladybug go?**

* * *

 **Abayomi: There is nothing I can do.**

* * *

 **Tikki: Remember when you made your pocket?**

* * *

 _Author's Note: It's almost over. Three (or four) more chapters to go. Why did I make a WWE segment? I just wanted to have fun. Hehe._


	12. The Pocket

The Pocket

 ** _Boing! Boing! Boing!_**

Fists and staff bounced off the rubbery time bubble as Ladybug and Chat Bast attacked it with everything they got until they were out of breath. But nothing worked. The time bubble would not pop. And the beeping earrings reminded them that Ladybug already used Lucky Charm, and her powers were draining. Ladybug fell to the floor completely defeated. All she could think about was her friend, Akila, who was captured by the Akhenatens for whatever fiendish purpose. Why did she fail to stop the Akhenatens? How could she let her best friend be kidnapped like that? What kind of hero is she? As she thought this, her eyes became fountains of tears.

A moment later, her blurred vision saw a peculiar figure outside of the bubble. It was Keyon, the man who tried to kill them as Falcon Eye. And he had a knife in his hand. Oh! No! Ladybug and Chat Bast were helpless as this time bubble slowed them down tremendously. The two heroes could do nothing but watch as the man walked closer and closer. Then, they braced themselves as he lifted his knife with both hands and struck.

 ** _Pop!_**

The time bubble broke and the miraculous holders were untouched. Chat Bast immediately assumed a fighting pose when Keyon dropped his knife and kept his hands up where they could see it.

"I mean you no harm," Keyon explained, "I just want to help."

"It was only a week ago when you used a tornado to make us _hiss_ -tory. What brought the change of heart?" the incredulous Chat shouted.

"Believe me. I'm sorry," Keyon answered, "I was angry and I made some wrong choices. But now, I realized that I was just as guilty as the Patra family. I was also attacking and hurting others, and I could have harmed somebody's Kali."

"You don't actually expect me to _fur_ -get all you did and trust you all of a sudden, do you?" the cat replied.

"You don't know where they took that girl," Keyon argued, "Do you even know what they plan to do to her? I do. I can help. I'm not asking you to trust me. But you need me."

The man made a good point. Chat considered his options and decided that he needed to take the risk. Then, he turned to his partner to see what she thought only to see empty space where the girl was.

"Where did Ladybug go?" he asked.

* * *

The mountain-like pyramid, which served as the Temple of Ra, was bustling with activity. The temple servants scrambled to wash, perfume, and dress Akila for the ritual. They had to hurry. The pharaoh could not hold his temper much longer.

Over at the entrance of the pyramid, the Thoth Akhenaten wrote "Sphinx" and summoned the powerful mythical beast to block the door. Hopefully that would prevent any further interruptions. Returning to the main chamber, the pharaoh depowered himself, took off the Mask of the Ancient Pharaohs, and laid it on the altar. Even though the mask empowered him with the spirit of the pharaohs, it was a little hard to breathe under it. After drawing a deep breath, Tutankhamun said, "I waited far too long for this moment."

"Don't worry. In just mere moments, the ritual will be performed, and I will finally get my wish," Grave Dog said.

"What did you say?" the pharaoh reacted to the last portion of the sentence.

"I mean, 'YOU will finally get your wish'," the jackal-headed priest hastily corrected.

 _That was close_ , Sebak thought, _Patience. I'm so close._

* * *

 ** _Beep! Beep!_**

Ladybug dashed into a sandy alley before the earrings rang for the final time and she detransformed.

"Aba, are you alright?" Tikki asked as soon as she emerged from the earrings.

"Why did you choose me?" tear-streaked Abayomi sobbed, "I was not meant for this."

"It is not too late. You can still go rescue her," the kwami assured her.

"But your powers are gone. I don't have any sweet pastries because I'm poor. So, you need to rest for at least six hours before you can transform me again. Even if I could transform, I will fail. There is nothing I can do," the girl cried.

Her cheek felt Tikki's tiny, gentle hands gently stroking. Then, after Abayomi calmed down a bit, Tikki said, "Remember when you made the pocket. It was the result of a mistake. You were making a robe to be just like every other robe. But then, you accidentally cut a slit at the waist area. Normally, that would have wrecked the robe's quality making it unsellable. However, you used your creativity and sewed a pouch inside using the slit as an opening. A mistake changed into something better than you first intended. A failure is not the end. You are a weaver. So weave these mistakes into something beautiful. Take this failure and become the hero you never thought you could be."

Tikki was right. Now was not the time to give up. Besides, Akila also believed in her. After a few deep breaths, Abayomi stood straight up. Then, she looked around the neightborhood and realized that she was standing near Akila's home. A crazy idea popped into her head. She went inside. In Akila's room, she found the Ladybug costume Abayomi made for her. Fortunately, both girls were the same size. So, she slipped on the dress and tied on the mask. But the outfit was still not complete. She found Akila's copper wesekh collar and hair beads and put them on. Now, she's starting to look more like Ladybug. But the actual outfit had forearm bracelets, and not even Akila had those. Then, Abayomi found a pair of red and long sleeve gloves that covered her entire arm. So, she got some black ink, drew some dots, and wore those as a replacement. The soft fabric wrapped around her hands and arms felt different from the hard metal bracelets, but they were better than nothing.

Ladybug was back in action.

She dashed back out onto the street. But then, she stopped in her tracks. Where was Akila taken?

"Do you need help, Ladybug?" an elderly voice said. It was the old man that she saved in the marketplace.

He continued, "I'll help you charge-"

"I'm sorry, sir. But I'm in a hurry. I need to figure out where Akila was taken," Ladybug interrupted.

"Oh! She was taken to the Temple of Ra," the mysterious man stated.

"How would you know that?" Ladybug asked.

Then, Tikki emerged from hiding. "This is Master Xu," the kwami explained, "He is the current guardian of the miraculous. Wise and all knowing. He even gave me to you." Abayomi stood there dumbfounded. So much was happening so fast.

"I'll take you to the temple," Master Xu said, "But take this." From his cloak's pocket, he took out the Ladybug yo-yo. "It is also magical. While it cannot perform Lucky Charm, it is perfect for combat," he explained.

Yo-yo in hand, Ladybug followed the master to where her friend was held captive.

* * *

Chat and Keyon were already at the massive pyramid when Ladybug arrived with Master Xu.

"Ladybug? You look a bit different," Chat remarked. Ladybug looked away and just drew lines in the sand with her feet.

Then, Master Xu asked the cat hero, "Have you, two, kissed and made up?"

Red shades flooded his face as Chat cried, "ENOUGH WITH THE KISS, YOU SICKO!"

"Is that the man who was Falcon Eye?" Ladybug asked at the sight of the Nubian man.

"I'm sorry, my lady. But now, I'm made up for it by bring Chat to the temple," Keyon said.

"Except he never mentioned the _meow_ -nster Sphinx guarding the entrance," Chat added.

Towering over the group was a massive Sphinx, with the head of a human and the body of a lion. It was as big as ten elephants. Just its paw alone was bigger than any man.

Moist, hot air beat against the group as the Sphinx growled, "Answer my riddle. If you answer correctly, you may pass. If you are wrong, you will be destroyed." Then, it gave its riddle.

 **"It is made by a pair and shared between a pair.**

 **It's an unspoken language hundred cultures share.**

 **Placed on different body parts, it could mean different things.**

 **Though the act is always soft, strong feelings it brings.**

 **It's purse holds nothing, but it's valuable, of course.**

 **The mouth is the deliverer. The heart is the source.**

 **What is it?"**

"Made by a pair. Shared by a pair." Chat whispered to his companions, "Gifts?"

"But the mouth does not deliver gifts, and it is not always soft," Keyon refuted.

"What purse holds nothing?" Ladybug wondered.

The trio stood scratching their heads failing to produce an answer. Then, the Nubian man thought of something. With his chest pushed out and his head held high, he boldly answered the Sphinx,

"What unspoken language is used more than MUSIC? Music is my answer."

"WRONG!" the Sphinx roared as it raised its lion claw. Fortunately, Ladybug and Chat quickly grabbed Keyon and, together, jumped away as the mountainous claw smashed the ground with an earth-shaking slam.

 ** _Pound! Rumble!_**

"You don't place music on different body parts," Chat explained.

"And music does not involve a purse," Ladybug added.

 ** _Roar!_**

The furious Sphinx gave a mighty roar releasing a storm-like gust of wind that knocked the trio onto their backs. The man-lion hybrid was about to follow up with another attack when Master Xu walked up behind Chat and Ladybug and said,

"Kiss."

"WOULD YOU KNOCK IT OFF WITH THE KISS ALREADY!" Chat Bast screamed.

Immediately, the Sphynx froze. "Correct. A kiss," it murmured as it faded away to reveal the door behind it.

"Oh … Well … How about that," Chat said.

"You, three, go on inside. I'll wait out here," Master Xu said. Chat and Keyon went through the entrance, but Master Xu stopped Ladybug and told her, "Leave Tikki with me."

"Huh?" Ladybug said.

"I'll recharge her with a chi spell. As soon as she is fully powered, she'll join you," he explained.

"What? You can do that?" Ladybug yelped, "But why didn't you do that earlier?"

"I was going to but you interrupted," the master replied, "That habit needs to be fixed."

Bowing her head in apology, Abayomi left Tikki with the master. Then, Ladybug followed after Chat and Keyon into the pyramid.

The muggy ritual chamber was dark as most of the lit torches were near the altar, and the heroes could only see the dark figures of the mummies, Grave Dog, and what looked like the leader. Fortunately, the darkness gave the heroes an advantage as they could sneak up on the enemies.

"ACHOO!" Ladybug sneezed due to the smoky incense. So much for the element of surprise.

"Ladybug! And Chat **Bust**!" the shadowy leader shouted when he turned and spotted them.

"You're the one who'll get busted up, buster," the brave cat man shouted.

But then, Chat froze as he got a good look at the leader.

 _Father?_ _Father was the mastermind behind the Akhenatens?_ Tut thought.

He stood in disbelief as he watched the man raise the Mask of the Ancient Pharaohs and placed it back on his face before activating the Pendant of Ra.

This was too much as Chat fell knees and screamed, "No! Noooooooooooooo!"

* * *

 **Sneak Peek for the next chapter**

 **Tut: Please, don't do this!**

 **Pharaoh Tutankhamun: I have gone too far to stop now. Awaken, Nefertiti! Awaken!**

* * *

 **As Akila levitated upwards, she cried, "Help me, Ladybug!"**

* * *

 **Ladybug: I surrender!**

* * *

 _Author's Note: Here's the explanation about the riddle._

 _A kiss is made by a pair of lips and shared with a pair of people. A kiss is a form of expression or communication many people use. Kissing on the lips mean one thing. Kissing on the hand or kissing someone's feet mean something else. And the "purse" is talking about the lips pursing._

 _I hope you enjoyed my riddle. I honestly made it myself._

* * *

Here was an idea I wanted to try in the story, but I could not pull it off

The masked pharaoh said, "Chat Bast, I am your father!"

"No. No. That's not true!" the poor cat hero whimpered as he shook his head in disbelief, "That's impossible!"

"Search your feelings. You know it to be true," the dark lord insisted.

"NOOOOOO!" the boy cried.


	13. The Ritual

The Ritual

 ** _Author's Note: Now, I feel silly. After rereading the Miraculous Ladybug wiki page, I think only one akumatized villain, the Pharaoh, was called Akhenaten, not every akumatized villain. Oh, well! I can't change the monster name twice. I got to keep calling them Akhenatens._**

"Nooooo!" Chat's scream echoed throughout the stone corridors of the Temple of Ra. _Why, father? Why is it you?_ Chat thought as he kneeled with his hands and knees on the hard brick floor. Worried for her cat, Ladybug was about to put her hand on his shoulder when she heard the pharaoh shout, "Ra, give me power!"

In a blinding flash, the man's pharaoh mask changed into a hawk's head, though the rest of his body remained the same. Then, the mask's eyes glowed brightly, and the Pharaoh shot a beam of hot, strong sunlight.

 ** _Spin!_**

Ladybug twirled her yo-yo at top speed and shielded herself and her two teammates. Looked like Master Xu's yo-yo was as good as the real thing.

 ** _Blast! Blast!_**

As Pharaoh and Grave Dog both shot beams at Ladybug, she stood her ground and kept spinning her yo-yo shield.

"LADYBUG!" a girl's voice shouted.

Ladybug's eyes opened wide and her heart trembled when she saw her friend carried into the ritual chamber. Dressed in white and wearing a ceremony hat, Akila was without a doubt the bride of a forced marriage. Akila desperately wiggled as the temple servants held her over their heads and walked to the golden altar. The sacrifice was ready.

"Great Pharaoh! Go and perform the ritual. I'll take care of these pests," Grave Dog said before running to the heroes.

"Remember your place, Sebak," Pharaoh said as he changed his mask back into a human pharaoh's face. With his large, strong hands, he took the scepter from the altar behind him and stuck it into a little hole in the floor to make it stand. Hands lifted high, the pharaoh's mask glowed with energy as he gave the incantation.

 **"Oh, Sacred Ra, god of the sun.**

 **I, Pharaoh, offer to thee a pure soul.**

 **This sacrifice for the return of Nefertiti.**

 **I bow to you and present this gift with my mummies.**

 **In company, we pray to you for the safe return of Princess Nefertiti.**

 **Awaken, Nefertiti! Awaken, Nefertiti! Awaken!"**

As Pharaoh, joined by the surrounding mummies, chanted the last line again and again, the scepter glowed and shot a white light at the golden altar. Then, a big tower of light shot up from the altar, broke off the top corner of the pyramid, and created a black portal in the sky. The gate to the afterlife has opened.

 ** _Zip! Clang! Zip! Clang!_**

The red yo-yo whipped back and forth as Ladybug repeatedly threw it at Grave Dog to keep him at a distance, only for Grave Dog to block it with his iron rod. So far, she stopped him in his tracks, but she did not know how long she could keep it up. Her arm started to feel heavy, and she grew more and more tired with each throw. Without Tikki's magic, her strength would not last much longer. Her mouth gasped for air, and beads of sweat dripped down her face. Soon, Grave Dog noticed that she was slowing down and the time between each throw grew longer and longer. His jackal face grinned as he stepped towards his exhausted foe.

"SNEAK ATTACK!" Keyon shouted as he jumped up behind Grave Dog with a knife in hand.

 ** _Whack!_**

Keyon flew back when Grave Dog turn around and hit him away with his iron rod. "It is not a sneak attack if you're yelling it," the jackal man pointed out. But the Nubian warrior rolled right back up and engaged him in melee combat. However, just as Ladybug dropped her arms to rest, Grave Dog shouted, "Mummies, attack!"

Ladybug's heart raced again as she watched the sea of mummies run towards her. "Chat, help!" she shouted. Her voice seemed to have snapped Chat back into reality as he raised his head. His green eyes spotted Pharaoh standing before the tower of white light chanting, "Awaken, Nefertiti. Awaken." Gripping his staff, Chat ran towards the mummies. Then, just as he was within arms length from them, he extended his staff and vaulted over the entire crowd. Landing behind Pharaoh, Chat said, "Stop." However, his words were completely ignored. Pharaoh turned his attention to Chat and waited for the cat's next move. Surprisingly, Chat did not attack as Tutankhamun expected. Instead, the masked hero took a deep breath and said, "Claws In."

The black mask and the cattail dissolved away, and the black collar and shendyt skirt changed colors to reveal the man behind the cat mask. "Chat was Prince Tut?" Ladybug gasped. Immediately, Plagg emerged from the black ring and cried, "What are you doing, human? Don't you know it is dangerous? Listen to the great and powerful kwami of the ring. Transform back!"

"Please, father. This is not right. Stop this," the blond prince said. The masked pharaoh was shocked at this revelation. But this changed nothing. "I have gone too far to stop now. Put the girl in the light," Pharaoh said, and the temple servants laid Akila on the beam. As she started levitating up, Pharaoh chanted, "Awaken, Nefertiti! Awaken!"

Sebak thought as he fought Keyon, _Keep chanting. As soon as the girl passes through the gate to the afterlife, the true nature of the ritual will be revealed. Then, my moment will finally come._

"Help me, Ladybug," Akila screamed as floated away from the altar.

 ** _Zip! Wrap!_**

Ladybug threw her yo-yo to a ceiling beam. Pulling herself up the rope, she swung above the mummies and successfully landed on the other side of the crowd. "Kya!" she squeaked as her skirt flew up when she dropped down from the swing. Too bad it was not Tikki's magical, stay-in-place dress. Before anybody could see her undergarments, she quickly bent down to push down her skirt.

 ** _Boom!_**

One of Grave Dog's fireballs flew just inches above her lowered head and exploded on a wall. Luckily, she was bent down at that time. Then, Keyon swung his knife at Grave Dog. This Nubian man was a mighty fighter, indeed. However, he was still just a mere mortal while Grave Dog was a magic-empowered creature. The jackal's eyes shot beams, struck the Nubian man, and turned him into a mummy minion. One pest down. One bug to go.

"Father, you are sacrificing an innocent girl. She does not deserve this. Please, stop," Tut yelled.

"I'm doing this for us, son. I'm going to bring your mother back. One girl is a small price to pay to be with Nefertiti again," Pharaoh objected. Those words rang deeply in the prince. Certainly, he missed his mother dearly. Still, is this alright?

Seeing Tut hesitating, Plagg floated up in front of his face and said, "Human, it is I, your great and powerful kwami. Know that I am with you. Call upon me and I will give you strength. … Seriously, use the miraculous already!"

"Ladybug, hurry!" the glasses-wearing sacrifice was halfway to the roof of the pyramid when she called out again.

Pharaoh turned around to look, and sure enough, Ladybug was still up and running trying to stop him. Are all of his minions incompetent? If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

"Isis, give me magic," Pharaoh shouted as his mask turned into the female face of the goddess of magic. The pharaoh raised his hands above his head and a shining magic energy ball grew between his hands till it was larger than a watermelon. Then, he threw the magic sphere at the pesky bug.

 ** _Pant! Gasp!_**

Ladybug's tired lungs only had enough strength to take a gasp of air as she watched the shiny projectile fly at her. But she was exhausted from running and fighting. Her legs were heavy as lead, so she can't jump away. Her only hope is to spin a yo-yo shield. Her arms felt like noodles as she whirled her yo-yo around as fast as she could, but there was not enough speed to form the shield. Spin faster! Please, spin faster!

 ** _Bump! Smack!_**

Her foot hit a protruding floor brick and her face planted firmly onto the stone floor. Ow! Her nose ached.

 ** _Whoosh! Blast!_**

The magic ball missed her as it flew over and blew Grave Dog away instead. Boy, was she lucky! As she looked at the unconscious Grave Dog on the floor, an idea struck her. Tikki said to weave her mistakes. Maybe she can weave her clumsiness into this fight.

Her knees shook as she picked herself up, but she could still run. In a zig-zag pattern, she ran towards the pharaoh. Pharaoh charged another magic ball and threw it at her. But then, she put one foot in front of the other and tripped herself causing her to slide headfirst below the projectile. Immediately, she got back up and continued running. Pharaoh threw another magic sphere at her. She stepped on her skirt, fell, and dodged another shot. Finally, she was a stone throw away from the Pharaoh, and she threw her yo-yo at him.

 ** _Wrap!_**

The magic yo-yo ensnared the man and constraint his upper arms to his body. Unfortunately, the Pharaoh was not defeated and his hands could still move. His large, strong hands grabbed the string. Without Tikki's power, the magic-empowered man easily pulled her and threw her against a wall like a ragdoll. Completely exhausted, the girl laid on the floor.

"Father, stop. Don't do this," Tut cried again.

The pharaoh looked at his boy and said, "Didn't you miss your mother? Don't you wish to see her again? To feel her warm embrace? To receive her loving kisses? Weren't you lonely without her?" Then, the prince stood still as he considered what his father said.

"Finish her, my pharaoh," the now conscious Grave Dog said as he got back up. Freed from the yo-yo's constraint, Pharaoh raised one hand and summoned a poisonous snake, like the one Isis used in the legends. Hissing, it slithered towards the girl on the floor.

"Awww. What a cute snake. Wait! What am I saying? Get up, Ladybug!" Akila said.

Tired and hurt, Ladybug's body could not move. The snake drew closer and closer. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a cobra appeared and fought it.

Pushing off the floor with both hands, she got on her knees. Her sides hurt from hitting the wall, and her body was begging for rest. Nevertheless, she needed to save Akila. Then, she felt Tut grab one arm and helped her stand up. However, before she could thank him, he got behind her and locked his arms around her, restraining her arms and preventing her from leaving this spot.

Plagg flew up to Tut's face and said, "The great Plagg is displeased, human. You are interfering with the rescue. Stop this transgression at once! … Ugh! It's like Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio."

"What are you doing? Let me go. I need to save Akila," Ladybug screamed as she wiggled with what little strength she had left to escape the prince's clutch.

"Please, stop," Tut whimpered in her ear, "Just this once."

"No! Akila is getting sacrificed. What is wrong with you?" she yelled.

"Please! I want to my mother back," Tut said.

When those words landed in her ears, Ladybug stopped moving. She turned her head, and in the corner of her eye, she could see Tut crying. The prince of Egypt was crying. Wait! No. He was Chat Bast. Chat Bast was crying. Ever since their first conversation in her room, her heart ached for him. This cat was lonely. He was always alone. Now, she knew why. Still, she can't let Akila be sent to the afterlife. But he was so lonely without his mother. If only there was another way.

Wait! There is one other solution.

"I surrender," Ladybug shouted to Pharaoh.

"No, Ladybug!" Akila cried as she neared the hole in the pyramid's roof.

"You can perform the ritual," the red heroine continued, "but sacrifice me, instead,"

"No, Ladybug!" Akila cried in response to the new statement.

"No! I already got the purest girl in the land," Pharaoh objected.

"Wait, my pharaoh," Grave Dog said. _Maybe sacrificing this powerful Ladybug would be a good idea_ , Sebak thought. The jackal man held up the Scale of Anubis. To his surprise, the heart side flew up higher than he had ever seen. He never saw such a reading before. Sebak thought, _Perhaps she is a demigod. With such a precious sacrifice, I could convince the gods to grant me the biggest wish of all. Forget Egypt. I'll take the world._ However, the actual reason was that Abayomi loved Tut and Akila so much that she was willing to lay down her life for them.

Grave Dog said, "It's true that you would make a much more precious offering than this mortal."

"Hey! Excuse you, but I make excellent sacrificing material," Akila pouted.

Pharaoh walked up to Ladybug. Before he sent her to the afterlife, there was one thing he wanted to know. "Who are you?" he asked. Ladybug finally pushed Tut's arms off her. Then, she untied her red mask and dropped it to the ground.

 _Abayomi!_ Tut's mind was in a daze as he tried to process all of this.

Before Tut could even say a word, Pharaoh grabbed Abayomi and said, "Horus, give me your wings." Flying up through the hole in the ceiling, Pharaoh pulled Akila off the beam and dropped her onto the pyramid where she slid down to the bottom. Tut ran to the base of the light tower and managed to see Pharaoh place Abayomi on it. As Abayomi floated up towards the gate to the afterlife, she looked down through the hole in the pyramid's top and saw the scared boy. Tears trickled down her face. Still, she gave a brave smile and said, "I'm sorry, tiger.

I love you."

 **Sneak Peek at the Next Chapter**

 **Tut: I'm so sorry about this. I love you!**

* * *

 **The Scepter of Osiris smashed on the stone floor shattering into thousands of glass pieces.**

* * *

 **Sebak: I wanted Egypt. I wanted the world. But now, you left me no choice.**

* * *

 _Author's Note: In the cartoon, the Egyptian Ladybug on the scroll was not wearing a mask. My idea was that she was not wearing the magical costume at the time. Instead she went without Tikki and eventually had to reveal herself._

 _Also, I don't encourage people to sacrifice their own life to make someone else happy. Helping others is great but make sure you take care of yourself as well._


	14. The Finale

The Finale

"Goodbye. Goodbye, everybody," Abayomi whimpered as the light beam pushed her further and further away from the world she knew. High in the windy sky, the giant pyramid below looked like it could fit in her palm. Over to the side, she could see the marketplace. Oh! How she would miss watching the people scrambling around with their sand-covered feet. There's her house! Papa! Mama! How would they react when their little girl would not come home anymore? At the base of the pyramid, she saw a dot that was probably Akila. Abayomi said, "Don't be sad, my friend. It is not your fault. And finally, Chat, I mean Prince Tut, I wish I got to …"

As Abayomi approached the gate to the afterlife, Prince Tut watched from below. "No! No!" he mumbled, "I did not mean for this to happen. I did not know she was Abayomi." Then, he wondered, _But did that make a difference? I really missed mother. And Ladybug, I mean Abayomi, willingly volunteered. But she wore that smile. The one we both wear to hide our pain. She was clearly sad. After all, she's leaving this world and won't see her family or friends … ever … again. … She'll be alone._

How could he be so selfish? He would never be okay with getting his mother back when he sent such a dear person to suffer the same fate he suffered. He had to stop this.

The Scepter of Osiris shined in front of the altar. Tut rushed over and tugged with all his might. However, the scepter's magic prevented it from budging. Pharaoh noticed this act. Descending to the ground, he sternly scolded, "Why have the gods given me such a foolish son? Why do you fret over that girl?"

Tut's blood boiled, and he shouted, "That girl is Abayomi."

Suddenly, the prince ran to the altar and jumped into the light tower. Plagg screamed, "Tut! No!" However, it was too late. The stream of light was like a narrow rushing current that dragged Tut quickly to the sky. He faintly heard his father scream his name, but his focus was on the girl above him. His ascension slowed as he neared the top of the beam. At last, he reached his weaver girl.

"Tut? I mean, my prince?" Abayomi cried. Suddenly, Tut hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Abayomi," the boy said, "I should have been stronger. But, at least I won't let you go alone. I will always stay by your side. I won't let you go. I love you!"

Abayomi thought she ran out of tears but more flowed out. Except these were tears of joy. She could not help but hug back, and the two approached the black vortex in a warm embrace.

Then, her hazelnut eyes met his emerald eyes. Their eyes never broke the gaze as Tut's forehead rested on Abayomi's. Soon, their faces moved closer until their soft lips touched for a deep kiss.

* * *

As the couple approached the gate to the afterlife, Pharaoh Tutankhamun watched from below. "No! No!" he mumbled, "I did not mean for this to happen." Without a thought, he dashed to the Scepter of Osiris and pulled it with all his might. The scepter's magic was strong, but Tutankhamun was strengthened by the Mask of the Ancient Pharaohs. Soon, he overwhelmed the scepter and pulled it up.

 _ **Zap! Zap!**_

Lightning shot from the scepter as the two magic forces collided. Some of the streams struck Tutankhamun, and he screamed as his body jolted. Still, he lifted the scepter above his head and threw it down. The Scepter of Osiris smashed on the stone floor shattering into thousands of glass pieces. With the scepter gone, the tower of light disappeared, and the gate to the afterlife closed without a second to spare. Satisfied that the ritual stopped, Tutankhamun collapsed onto the stone floor. The intensity of fighting the scepter's magic and the shocks from the lightning took a heavy toll.

As he watched the pair safely descend from the ceiling using Abayomi's yo-yo, Tutankhamun came to a realization. How reckless! He nearly lost another important treasure. What a fool he was! All this time, he was obsessed with bringing Nefertiti back that he forgot about his son. And he nearly lost him without showing Tut how much he loved him. Guess this ritual was too costly after all. It took away time with his son. Now that he thought about it, Nefertiti would never have wanted him to lose their son, her greatest gift.

Tutankhamun's breath steadied as Tut came over and removed his mask. Then, the prince's black kwami flew up to him. "You got guts, human … I mean, Tut," Plagg said. Soon, the pitter-patter of footsteps echoed through the stone corridor as Master Xu and Tikki arrived.

"You did it, Aba! You saved your friend!" the little red kwami squealed.

"Thanks, Tikki!" Abayomi replied, "But I-"

 _ **Pluck!**_

"Ow!" Abayomi cried as Tikki pulled a strand of her dark hair. Tikki explained, "To commemorate this achievement, I'm going to hold on to your hair to pass on to future Ladybugs. May it guide them to not give up, even when it seems they are not cut out for the task."

Then, Grave Dog walked up to Tutankhamun who was still lying on the floor. The man gently placed a hand on the resting pharaoh's chest, and Tutankhamun laid still to let the chief priest check his vitals.

However, in one swift motion, Grave Dog pulled the Pendant of Ra over the pharaoh's head and hung it around his own jackal head. "What is the meaning of this, Sebak?" the pharaoh shouted.

"I wanted to use the ritual to become powerful," Sebak growled, "I wanted Egypt. I wanted the world. But now, you left me no choice."

"But this ritual was to resurrect Nefertiti," the pharaoh replied, "I was chanting 'Awaken, Nefertiti!' the entire time."

Then, Sebak revealed, "I gave you a fake incantation. The ritual just needed the Scepter of Osiris to open the gate, and the Mask of the Ancient Pharaohs with mummy followers to persuade the highest of gods. I only needed you because the mask only works for the current pharaoh. Once the sacrifice went through the gate, the gods would have been moved to grant a wish. A wish I planned to steal from you and become pharaoh. No! Become a god. And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids."

Then, he cried out, "Ra, give me power!" and the pendant glowed. The jackal head shape-shifted into a hawk head, and the muscular human body grew feathers.

One more battle! With Tikki fully charged, Ladybug can join the fray. Together, the heroic duo can take down this last foe.

Time to transform! Prince Tut raised his ring and said,

 **"Great Plagg! Best Kwami of all!**

 **On my knees, your human falls.**

 **Mighty Spirit, I cry out.**

 **Grant me paw-some powers. Claws Out!"**

The ring sucked Plagg in, a black mask covered Tut's face, and the Egyptian clothing turned black as the prince became Chat Bast.

"Did you say that entire thing every time you transformed?" Abayomi asked.

"Yeah. The great Plagg told me to," Chat replied.

Tikki sighed, "I need to teach Plagg about honesty … and humility."

"Tikki, spots on!" Abayomi said. She gave an earring a wipe, and Tikki flew into it. Ladybug was ready for action!

"Ladybug! And Chat **Best**!" Sebak screamed.

"It's Bast," Chat replied, "But I am best."

Shaking his hawk claw in the air, Sebak declared, "After you fall by my hands, you will not have the honor of embalmment. I will not pull your brain through the nose. None of your organs will be removed and stored in clay jars. No! I'll just leave your organs in your unwrapped corpse. What do you think of that?"

"Get my father out of here," Chat told Master Xu. With the pharaoh leaning on Xu, the two men went to the exit. "Mummies, after them!" Sebak commanded, and every single mummy pursued the men out of the temple.

Chat dashed to the hawk man and swung his staff at him. However, not wishing to soil his talons, Sebak flapped his feathered arms and hopped back far from the cat. Then, Sebak's hawk eyes glowed.

 _ **Blast!**_

As a solar beam emerged, Chat flipped and narrowly missed the scorching sunlight. When Sebak's eyes cooled down, he saw Ladybug holding a red temple curtain in front of her. Keeping it spread open, she teased, "What's the matter? Too much sun in your eyes? I bet you can't even hit a target as big as this."

 _Nobody mocks the great Sebak_ , he thought as he fired a beam at the girl. However, he played right into her hands as she sidestepped and pulled the curtain away to reveal the golden altar behind her. The polished gold plates reflected the sunlight, and Sebak's feathers sizzled when the beam smacked him.

"You just got burned, _sun_." the cat hero remarked.

Shaking it off, Sebak countered, "Then, let's see who is top cat. Sekhmet, give me strength!" As the pendant glowed, the feathers changed to fur, and the hawk head morphed into a lioness's head. Sebak took several deep breaths. Then, he charged at the girl who made a fool of him.

 _ **Swipe! Swipe!**_

Large lion claws swung in all directions as Sebak tried to give her the worst scratch mark ever. However, freed from her exhaustion, the magical girl easily ducked, dashed, and flipped around these attacks.

Switching gears, Sebak took a deep breath to unleash War Cat's roar. Suddenly, Chat popped in front of him holding a bronze incense bowl in front of Sebak's lion mouth. Sebak's eardrums nearly ruptured as his mighty roar got reflected and slammed into his face.

" _FACE_ it!" the cat crusader said, "We've seen these forms before, and we know the _purr_ -fect counter."

After his ears stopped ringing, Sebak growled, "But you have not seen this before. Set, give me sand!" The furry body changed to a smooth human body, and the lion head changed into the unidentifiable, long-nosed head of Set, the god of deserts and disorder. Sebak bent over and took several deep breaths. But soon, he stood back up and unleashed his power. The entire chamber floor became sand. Then, the ground undulated up and down, and the duo's feet slowly sank as the smooth sand started swallowing them. Using their tools, the heroes pulled themselves up to a ceiling beam. However, a giant hand made of sand shot up to grab them, and the duo had to quickly hop to another ceiling beam.

Shaking itchy sand out of his blond hair, Chat said, "We need to end this fight soon." On cue, Ladybug tossed her yo-yo up and said, "Lucky Charm!" The glittery magic from the spinning yo-yo formed … a small jar of black ink. Now, how is this suppose to help? Quickly scanned her surroundings, her Ladybug senses highlighted a torch, the incense bowls, and the golden altar. Trying to find a use for them, she reflected on her battle against Sebak's Ra form and his deep breathing after each transformation. That's it! She knew what to do.

 _ **Zip! Zip!**_

She knocked over several bowls of burning incense with her yo-yo to create a sweet-smelling smokescreen. Now, Sebak could not see where those pests were. He heard the annoying bug say, "Chat, break the altar." Then, he heard the flea-bitten feline shout, "Cataclysm." Soon, he saw through the smoke the shadowy figures of the two heroes standing on the ground.

Chat's voice echoed, "I am the black cat that crosses your path. I am the eyes that see you in the dark. I am Chat Bast."

Then, Ladybug's echo followed. "Um … I am the ladybug that … uh … lands on your finger?"

Immediately, Sebak formed another giant sand hand right at the heroes' feet, and the pressed sand gave a crunch when the palm closed tightly. However, to his surprise, the two figures simply dashed through the smoke untouched. Sebak's blood vessels nearly popped as Chat taunted, "What's the matter, _me-ow_? Got sand in your eye. Get a _grip_. You'll never catch us."

Angered, he shouted, "Anubis, give me mummies!" His knees wobbled when he changed back to his Grave Dog form. But he regained his posture and shot his embalming beams at them through the smoke. The two shadows were elusive like flies. Then, he saw the bug's figure swing up and down in the air. He watched her movements carefully and fired. "Missed me! Missed me! Now you gotta kiss me. … Eww! Scratch that," Ladybug sang as she moved through the air. Sebak could have sworn he hit her.

Frustrated, he decided to chase her in the air. "Horus, give me wings!" he cried, and the pendant glowed again. After he morphed into the falcon-human form, he collapsed to the ground. The truth was that each transformation was exhausting. Still, after catching his breath, he got up and flew in the smoke. Ladybug may be an agile swinger, but Horus ruled the sky. The fast falcon man was catching up to the swinging shadow.

 _ **Conk!**_

Suddenly, just as Sebak was about to grab her, a hooked staff flew in and hit him in the head making him see stars. Then, a red yo-yo zipped up from the ground and snagged his feet. Dazed and tired, Sebak could not fight the mighty force tugging the string, and he slammed onto the sandy ground.

Completely exhausted, Sebak slowly turned onto his back as the smoke finally cleared up. His eyes widened when he saw both Ladybug and Chat Bast standing behind a bright torch holding gold plates from the altar with black figures painted on them. This entire time, Sebak was only fighting images projected on the smoke from the painted gold mirrors.

As her enemy laid still in the sand, Ladybug walked up to him.

 _ **Bump! Crack!**_

Ladybug tripped on a protruding floor brick, and the Pendant of Ra made a crunch sound when her hand slammed on it. With the pendant broken, the half-falcon Sebak shrunk back to a regular human.

However, a black wisp that resembled a smoky butterfly emerged from the pendant's shards and started flapping away. Ladybug was not sure what it was, but it was definitely dark magic. So, she activated her yo-yo.

"No more evil doing for you, whatever you are," she said, "Time to de-evilize!"

With a spin and a swing, she threw her yo-yo and captured that shadowy figure. When she opened the ladybug yo-yo's shell, all that was left of the wisp were a few sparkles of white magic. "Bye-bye, little butterfly," she remarked.

One more thing to do! Ladybug tossed up the ink jar and shouted, "Miraculous Ladybug!" The glittering streams restored everything in the temple of Ra and turned every mummy back into people. The Scepter of Osiris and the Pendant of Ra were also repaired, albeit no longer magical.

With the battle won, Ladybug and Chat Bast detransformed. As Chat's mask dissolve away to reveal Prince Tut, Abayomi blushed as she remembered what he said up on the light beam. Then, her eyes fell to the ground as she wondered what he would do now that they would not go to the afterlife. "Hey! About what you said," she started, "you don't have to -" Suddenly, she felt Tut's strong arms pull her as a warm hand caressed her cheek and Tut's lips pressed against her own. Abayomi got her answer.

* * *

Peace returned to Egypt as Pharaoh Tutankhamun stopped obsessing over magic rituals and focused on his kingdom and, more importantly, his family. To remember his lesson, he recorded these events in a papyrus scroll. Most of it deteriorated away over time, but remains were discovered 5000 years later.

Sebak was locked away in the deepest and most isolated prison cell for his treachery.

Akila was ecstatic that her best friend was Ladybug, but she promised not to tell anyone, to Tikki's relief.

Keyon was given sanctuary in Egypt and he started a new life there.

Master Xu went off to distant lands to search for the other miraculouses, but he allowed Abayomi and Tut to hang on to their miraculouses until he returned.

For years to follow, Ladybug and Chat Bast kept Egypt safe and happy. While the Egyptians were more familiar with Bastet's champion, the people eventually admired the red heroine.

Some called her the Crimson Avenger.

Others called her the Oracle of Khepri.

The truth was that she was just a normal girl with a normal life with something about her that no one, but a select few, knew yet. She had a secret.

She's Ladybug.

* * *

Epilogue

( _5000 years later – Paris, France_ )

A discouraged Marinette laid her pig-tailed head on her desk after Alya picked up "Ladybug's" history book. Tikki told her to stop Alya from discovering her secret when the girl replied, "But how? Maybe I'm not cut out for this whole Ladybug thing."

 _That reminds me of another girl who thought she could not be Ladybug_ , Tikki thought.

"It will all work out. Trust me. Everybody has a past they can learn from," Tikki said as she fondly remembered her adventure with clumsy Abayomi back in Ancient Egypt.

* * *

 **Next Time**

 **Far away in ancient Nubia, a dark cloud hung above a red-eyed princess.**

 **Curse the pharaoh for cancelling her engagement! Nobody does this to Cleo and gets away with it. NOBODY!**

 **Then, she opened an ornamented box and placed a yellow comb in her hair.**

" **Pollen, buzz on!"**

 **Princess Cleo Patra is gone!**

 **Queen Bee shall rise!**

 **Egypt will feel her sting!**

* * *

 _Author's Note: I'm just kidding. The story is over. I messed up here and there, but I had fun. Anyway, I'm going to stop writing, at least for now. Time for new things. I'm thinking of making animations. Thank you for reading this. I hope you enjoyed it. Bye!_


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